Amigo
by hockey.chic9
Summary: A dog brings Nick closer to someone who could change his life. For good? Maybe. PostGrave Danger, NickOC.
1. A jog in the park

A/N: I don't own CSI. Great disclaimer, huh? This is a post-_Grave Danger _story, basically taking place during season six. Enjoy!

After his shift ended, Nick changed and headed out to a nearby park for his daily jog. Jogging usually kept his mind clear, but he kept coming back to what Grissom had said as he was leaving.

"You need to have someone or something to confide in, whether it be a therapist, a girlfriend, or a dog. You have to talk about what happened in that box, Nicky. For your own good, you have to talk about it." Nick decided he should get a dog; a girlfriend would probably be too much for his shaky emotional state right now.

Continuing on, Nick soon noticed a lone figure heading his way. He couldn't tell much about it, but as it drew closer, he realized the person was a woman, and _she was being followed_. The woman came closer, unaware that her follower slunk along behind her, close enough to keep her in sight, but too far for Nick to see it clearly. As the woman came close enough to hear, Nick had to warn her. "Miss, you're being followed."

The woman stopped cold, her curly auburn ponytail swinging. "Excuse me?"

Nick stopped too, his eyes focused on the figure in the shadows. "Something has been following you. I noticed it when you came down the path." Glancing at her, he saw her green eyes were dark with suspicion. Reaching for his crime lab ID, he passed it to her. "Nick Stokes, Las Vegas Crime Lab. I want to help you, not harm you. The guy's in the shadows over there; I can't see him very well." The woman, satisfied that he was who he said he was, handed his ID back to him and focused her gaze at the spot Nick has pointed out. Then a grin broke out over her face.

"I know who my stalker is, Mr. Stokes," she said. Puckering her lips, she let out a shrill whistle. "Amigo, come!" The figure burst out of the shadows and bolted in their direction. Nick realized the "stalker" was a young black and tan dog. He raced over to the woman and sat at her feet, his tail thumping the ground. "Meet Amigo."

Nick smiled. "I take it he's yours?"

She nodded. "Yes. He must have gotten out of the house when I left." She reached down to scratch behind his ears. "I should get him back to the house. Thanks for…thanks for 'saving' me."

As she turned to leave, Nick stopped her. "Wait a minute. You know my name. Can I ask yours?"

The woman turned back to him. "Johanna. Johanna Andrews. I just moved here a few months ago, and still getting used to the 'glitz and glamour' of Viva Las Vegas."

Nick nodded. "I know how that goes. It took me a while to get used to it, myself." _Maybe a girlfriend wouldn't be such a bad idea after all, _he thought. He was about to say more when a phone page went off. Both of them reached to their belt.

"It's mine," Johanna said. "I have to go. It was nice meeting you, Nick. Maybe we'll see each other again. Come on, Amigo." Before Nick could get her phone number, Johanna and her dog disappeared. With a slight sigh he resumed his jog.

**_TBC..._**

Since I rewrote a bit of this chapter and reposted it (and most likely will be doing the same to some of the other ones), I'm not sure what effect that will have on the review function. So if you want to leave me a review and can't do it in the regular fashion, feel free to drop me a line through this site. Thanks :)


	2. Dr Andrews

A/N: Sadly, nothing has changed since last chapter's disclaimer.

_Previously: __Before Nick could get her phone number, Johanna and her dog disappeared. With a slight sigh he resumed his jog. _

When shift started that evening, Nick couldn't get Johanna out of his head. In the assignment room, he sat next to a surly-looking Warrick. As soon as Grissom entered the room everyone fell silent.

Grissom quickly doled out the assignments. "Catherine, dead stripper. Right up your alley. Take Sara. Warrick, drug dealer ends up dead after a sting operation. Find out what really happened. Greg, Mia's still out with the flu, so you're in the lab again. Go."

Nick waited until everyone had left, then asked, "What about me, Grissom?"

"You're with me. Neighborhood dispute gone bad. Five dead, two injured. And…" Grissom's phone rang. After a quick conversation, he hung up and turned back to Nick. "I have to go back to the scene. I need you to head to autopsy. Surgery has commenced."

Getting up, Nick followed Grissom to the door. "Don't you mean the autopsy?"

Grissom shook his head. "One of the neighbors had a dog, and it got caught in the crossfire. The bullet lodged in its hind leg. The dog should live, but I want the surgery to happen here, and the morgue happens to be the cleanest place here." Grissom opened the door. "I need the bullet, Nicky. Go." They left the room together, Grissom heading to his office, and Nick to the autopsy room.

Breezing through the door, Nick saw Doc Robbins observing as a doctor, back to the door, operated on the dog.

"Hello, Nick," Doc Robbins welcomed him.

"Hey Doc. It's different to see you observing, not performing something like this."

Doc chuckled. "True. But I'm not a vet. However, Dr. Andrews is."

Nick blinked. _Andrews?_ Shaking it off, Nick came around to Doc's side, eyes on the dog. "Looks like a pit bull mixed with…something. Golden Retriever, maybe?"

"Labrador Retriever, actually, Mr. Stokes," Dr. Andrews stated. She had skillfully sliced the dog's leg open enough to search for the bullet. Reaching with the forceps, she extracted the bloody bullet and dropped it into the pan held by Doc Robbins.

"I'll drop this off at ballistics on my way to have a chat with Gil. Nick, make sure Dr. Andrews has whatever she needs for the dog," he said, heading towards the door. Nick nodded before he finally looked at Dr. Johanna Andrews, who was stitching the dog's leg closed.

"So we meet again, Mr. Stokes," she said, tying off her final stitch.

Nick smiled. "Please, call me Nick." He gestured to the dog. "Do you see this dog on a regular basis?"

Johanna's green eyes sparkled above her facemask. "He was in a couple of weeks ago for his annual checkup. His name is Zorro." She surveyed her work, then turned back to Nick. "Okay, Nick, I need to put Zorro somewhere so he can wake up. Can you find me a quiet place?"

"I think I know the perfect place. Do you need help carrying him?"

Johanna shook her head as she carefully scooped the dog in her arms. "Could you grab that duffle bag over there?" she asked, gesturing with her head.

Nick snagged the bag before holding the door open. Leading the way down the hall, he snuck a peek in the ballistics lab. Grissom was listening to Bobby while looking in the microscope. Hurrying onward, Nick held open the door to Grissom's office for Johanna. Flipping on the light, he saw Johanna blink at the sight of the office before turning to him.

"There's a hospital blanket and a leash in the bag. Could you get them out and lay the blanket on the floor by the desk?" Nick obliged, and gently Johanna set Zorro down. Taking the leash from Nick, she tied one end to the desk and clipped the other end to Zorro's collar. "There. When he wakes up I'll take him to the clinic, but for now he stays here."

Heading back with Johanna to autopsy, a thought crossed Nick's mind. Another thought shot after the first…_Should I?_

**_TBC..._**


	3. Nick has to ask

A/N: Nope, I still don't own CSI.

_Previously: Heading back with Johanna to autopsy, a thought crossed Nick's mind. Another thought shot after the first…Should I? _

Nick glanced at Johanna walking next to him. He noticed that the top of her head was just barely level with his chin. He kept thinking as the double doors swung shut behind them. Johanna busied herself with cleaning her makeshift surgical table. Nick pitched in. Once they were done, Johanna stripped off her bloody gloves and tossed them into the garbage. Her surgical gown and mask followed. She then joined Nick at the sink as they washed their hands.

"Hey, Johanna…" Nick's voice trailed off for a moment, then he continued. "I was wondering if you'd, um…if you'd like to have coffee with me sometime."

Johanna glanced at him, her eyes changing to jade green. Nick waited with bated breath until she smiled. "Sure. I'd like that."

Nick returned her smile. "Great. When would work for you?"

Johanna shrugged. "Well, we apparently both work nights, so midmorning would work for me. But I don't know many places here yet."

"That's right, you haven't been here long. Well, don't worry about it, I know a few great places. Um, should I pick you up, or give you directions, or…" Nick didn't want to seem overeager, but sometimes he couldn't help it.

Johanna thought for a moment. "Depends on when we go, I suppose. When were you thinking?"

Nick paused. He hadn't given that much thought; he was pretty much flying by the seat of his pants. "Well, would today work? I mean," glancing at his watch, he continued, "it's quarter to midnight now, and I'm off at six, as long as nothing new comes up."

Johanna nodded. "Technically it's my day off, but I'm going in to the clinic to catch up on some things and get Zorro settled in. I should be done before six, so…let me give you my address and number; you can pick me up there, and if something comes up, you can call me." She wrote down her information and handed it to Nick, who folded it and slipped it into his pocket. Just then Grissom walked through the door.

"Why is there a dog in my office?"

Nick grinned sheepishly. "Griss, this is Dr. Johanna Andrews. She needed to put Zorro in a quiet room, and I figured your office was good for now…I should have checked first. Sorry, Gris."

Grissom shrugged. "Just find me next time." He looked at his watch. "I have an experiment I need to do. Nick, can I get a pint of your blood?"

Nick paled, but Johanna perked up. "Blood spatter experiment?" Grissom raised a brow, while Nick's jaw dropped, then quickly snapped closed.

Grissom slowly nodded. "How did you know what kind of experiment I had planned?"

Johanna grinned. "I may not have been in Vegas long, but I have had a subscription to _Forensics Monthly_ for a while. You've been mentioned a time or two." Nick grinned as well. _A time or two? Two thousand, maybe. _He zoned back in as Johanna continued. "I would love to be a part of one of your experiments. Besides, I have to check on Zorro anyway."

Grissom glanced at her veins. "Nick, may I borrow her? Greg might have something to report. We'll be in my office." To Johanna, he said, "You have beautiful veins, Dr. Andrews."

Johanna smiled. "Please, call me Johanna."

**_TBC..._**


	4. Greg spills and Grissom experiments

A/N: *Insert non-ownership disclaimer here*

_Previously: Grissom glanced at her veins. "Nick, may I borrow her? Greg might have something to report. We'll be in my office." To Johanna, he said, "You have beautiful veins, Dr. Andrews." _

_Johanna smiled. "Please, call me Johanna."_

As Grissom and Johanna walked to his office, Nick stood in thought until…

"Hey, Nick." Greg ambled up. "Who was the babe that was just here?"

Nick turned. "A little maturity, Greggo. That was Dr. Johanna Andrews. She's helping Grissom and me on our case."

Greg grinned. "A doctor, huh? Maybe she can help me. I've had some weird chest pains recently…I think my heart is broken." Nick rolled his eyes and followed Greg as he clutched his chest and stumbled back to the lab. "Think I could get an introduction, Nick? You seem to be chummy with her already."

Nick couldn't help grinning as well. "You do like to monkey around…maybe she could make an exception for you." At Greg's questioning look, Nick explained. "Johanna's a vet, Greggo, and…."

"Already on a first name basis, Nick? Nice job. Did you get her digits, too?" Greg seemed impressed.

Nick sighed. "Not that it's any of your business, Greggo, but yes, I did. And we're having coffee after shift, as long as nothing else comes up. Do you have anything for me about the case?"

Greg shook his head. "Nothing from your case. Sara dropped off stuff from her case, but that's it. Sorry." He leaned forward. "If things fall through with your date, think I could have a go?"

Nick headed for the door. "Don't even think about it, Greggo." He paused just as he was about to leave. "Hey, do you know why Warrick's in a bad mood tonight?"

Greg motioned him to come closer. He looked left, then right, before whispering in Nick's ear, "Tina left him. For some doctor."

Nick left the lab, still processing what he had learned. _Poor 'Rick. He didn't do anything to deserve the treatment Tina gave him._ As he neared Grissom's office Nick resolved to take Warrick out to his favorite hotspot soon.

"Come in, Nicky. We were just finishing up," Grissom said as he stored Johanna's blood in his refrigerator, while Johanna held a swab of cotton to stop the blood. "Did Greg have anything to report?"

Nick shook his head. "Not on the case." Taking a glance at Zorro, he saw that the dog was awake, but very groggy.

"He'll be like that for a few hours at least," Johanna said, catching sight of Nick looking at Zorro. "I'd like to get him back to the clinic to monitor him more closely, although nothing should come up." She glanced from Nick to Grissom to Nick again. "I caught a cab here. Could someone give me and Zorro a ride back to the clinic?"

Grissom nodded. "Nick can give you a ride." They helped Johanna carry her things out to the Tahoe, and as Nick was about to climb into the driver's seat, Grissom stopped him. "Just remember, Nicky. You have a shift to finish. Don't take too long."

**_TBC..._**

I realize that Warrick and Tina were still married throughout season six and at least through part of season seven (that I can remember right off the top of my head, anyway), but I changed it for the purposes of this story.


	5. Taking Zorro to the vet

A/N: Considering the fact I've reworked all the chapters up to this one in one sitting, the disclaimer bit gets quite annoying. But of course, it's necessary!

_Previously: "Just remember, Nicky. You have a shift to finish. Don't take too long."_

Nick knew the way to the clinic Johanna worked at, so the ride was relatively quiet, broken only by Keith Urban's mournful "Tonight I Wanna Cry" on the radio. He glanced in the rearview mirror at Johanna, sitting in the back with Zorro. She gazed out the window, occasionally glancing at the spaced out dog. The Texan brought his eyes back to the road, his mind turning to Warrick. _What was Tina thinking, leaving Warrick for her ex? Didn't she know how much it would hurt him?_ Turning the Tahoe into the clinic's parking lot, he eased to a stop. "The clinic is closer than I thought," he commented as he opened the driver's door. Coming around to the passenger side, he shook his head at duffel bag Johanna offered him; instead Nick scooped Zorro into his arms. "Just show me where you want him, Johanna," he said.

Johanna smiled as she unlocked the door marked "Employees Only" and held it open for him to pass through into a hallway. To his right was what appeared to be a pre-operating room. To his left the hall led to a door marked Ward A. Three other doors in the hall led to other wards, B, C, and D. Voices, barks, and meows came from various rooms.

"Bring him in here, Nick," Johanna called. She had entered Ward D and had a kennel already prepped. Nick gently placed Zorro onto the black rubber matt, then stood back as Johanna finished her work with him. The room was smaller than he imagined, with seven stainless steel kennels, four small ones on top of three larger ones, gracing the left side. Cabinets above the kennels hid their contents from view. Another door at the end of the room led to the outside of the building. "This is the surgical ward, in case you were wondering," Johanna said, having seen him taking the room in. "On a typical day the kennels are full."

"What are the usual surgeries?" Nick asked.

Johanna led him through the hall to the office she shared with the other vets. "Spays and neuters, feline declaws. Sometimes we get one that needs to be stitched up after a fight." She sat and offered him a chair, which he politely declined. "Some of the same day ones are dentals. Listen, I know you have to get back to work. Thank you for giving me a ride here."

Nick smiled. "We're still on for coffee?"

"Looking forward to it," Johanna replied. She jabbed a finger at her desk. "As long as I can get this caught up." Files were stacked haphazardly, papers were spread everywhere. "It's not usually like this, mind you. We've had techs out sick recently, and I let all this slide." She smiled back at Nick. "After this, I'll need a good rewind."

Nick chuckled. "I'll call you before I pick you up, okay?" His phone beeped. "That's my cue to get back to work. I'll see you in a few hours."

When Nick arrived back at the lab, he swung by Grissom's office. "What did you find, Gris?"

"Bobby matched our bullet to a QwikStop robbery last month. The gun is registered to a John Callahan. Brass is bringing him in for questioning." Grissom leaned back in his chair. "Is there anything I need to know?"

Nick frowned. "About what?"

"You. And Johanna Andrews."

Pausing, Nick considered his words. "Not yet."

Grissom nodded. "I see. If something does begin between the two of you, she should know what happened to you." As Nick turned to leave, the older man said one more thing: "I think she'll be good for you."

**_TBC..._**


	6. Case closed

A/N: As much as I'd love to own CSI, I don't.

_Previously: As Nick turned to leave, the older man said one more thing: "I think she'll be good for you."_

On his way to interrogation, Nick ran into Warrick. The tall former gambler's irritable mood was still very present.

"Hey, 'Rick. How's your case going?" Nick asked, trying to break the ice.

Warrick shrugged. "Open and shut. Dealer pulled his gun on the undercover cop, who in turn shot him. Nothing criminal at all."

The Texan nodded. "What's bugging you then?" He knew, thanks to Greg, but he wanted to hear it from Warrick.

"It's nothing, man. Tina just decided that I'm not good enough for her anymore," Warrick said bitterly. He ran his hand through his hair. "She kept staying longer and longer at work, and I started suspecting. Look. No hard feelings, but I really don't want to talk about it right now. Maybe later, okay?"

Nick shrugged. "Take your time, 'Rick. When you feel like talkin', we can grab a couple beers and chill. Deal?"

Warrick smiled, the first one of the night. "Deal." He grabbed Nick's outstretched hand and shook it before the two went their separate ways.

John Callahan's question brought out answers to questions on the case. Brass filled Nick and Grissom in outside the room. "The dispute that left five people dead started with a domestic between a husband and wife. Her sister lived next door with a boyfriend and teenage daughter. Callahan, the wife's ex-husband, said he gave his ex the gun because her current hubby was abusing her."

"When did he say he gave her the gun?" Grissom asked.

"About three months ago. The next month Amy, the sister's daughter, started dating a pretty shady fellow who's looking better and better for the QwikStop robbery. I'll have the clerk look at his photo in the next couple days."

"So Callahan had an alibi for the robbery?" Nick questioned.

Brass nodded. "He was in Reno at the time; it's already been confirmed. From what I've gathered about the current case, hubby starts arguing with wife when her sister and company were over for supper. Wife pulls the gun, struggle ensues. The first shot goes wild, out the window, and hits an elderly couple out for an evening walk. Strange? I know. Anyways, husband gets the gun away, shoots the wife and Amy. Sister's boyfriend grabs for the gun. Goes off again, hits the sister and the dog. Husband shoots the boyfriend, who manages to knock the gun out of his hand. Wife is still alive, grabs the gun and shoots the husband. The only survivors are the elderly couple and the dog."

Grissom allowed a small smile to show. "Amazing as it sounds, I believe it. The evidence lines up, and the wife's autopsy showed signs of past abuse. Callahan's in the clear on this, too?"

"He spent that night in the drunk tank. Nothing major, but it gives him an airtight alibi," Brass responded. "I'll cut him loose, then. Unless you have anything else?"

Shaking his head, Grissom frowned. "No, nothing else. He's free to go." As Brass headed back into interrogation, Grissom turned to Nick. "Finish up the paperwork on this, Nicky, and then check on the case Cathrine and Sara are on. Doesn't look like there'll be a double tonight, but it is Vegas, after all." With that, Grissom headed back to his office.

Nick finished the paperwork on the case at half past five. Checking on Catherine and Sara, he found that their case was as good as closed. _Easy night,_ he thought as he grabbed a couple things from his locker at the end of shift. Heading out to his Tahoe, he glanced at his watch. It read 6:14. _I'll head home and shower first, then call Johanna,_ he told himself as he climbed into the vehicle and started the engine. Driving towards his house, Nick couldn't stop thinking about her. It was then that he realized that just the thought of her made his heart skip a beat. Suddenly Nick couldn't wait to get home.

**_TBC..._**


	7. The date begins

A/N: If I owned CSI, I'd be relaxing on a beach right now. Obviously, I'm not doing that!

_Previously: Suddenly Nick couldn't wait to get home._

After a shower, Nick felt a lot better, even though he was skipping his after-shift run. He pulled on a pair of blue jeans and, after some thought, his favorite college sweatshirt before splashing on cologne. Searching for his shoes, Nick wondered if he should tell Johanna about what had happened to him. Locating the footwear, he slipped them on, grabbed the paper with Johanna's address from his other pants, and left.

During the drive, Nick kept wondering if he should tell her or not. _It might scare her away if I tell her this soon, _he finally decided as he pulled his Tahoe into a parking spot outside her house. He made his way to the door and knocked, then chuckled at the sound of scrambling paws and ferocious barking from the other side of the door. More footsteps sounded, followed by a click as the door opened. Johanna, firmly holding Amigo's collar, smiled at Nick.

"Enter at your own risk," she said, holding the door open. Nick stepped inside the house, one of the spacious ranch-types found near the edge of Vegas. Johanna released Amigo, who promptly bounded over to Nick and proceeded to sniff his feet. "Amigo, leave it. Go lay down, and not on the couch," Johanna commanded. Obediently the little dog trotted over to the couch and looked back at his mistress. Seeing her watching him still, Amigo sighed and curled up beside the couch, his head on his paws. Johanna chuckled as she turned back to Nick. "I guarantee that he'll be on the couch when we leave."

Nick grinned, imagining the dog claiming the couch whenever Johanna left the house. "I see." He waited as Johanna slipped on a pair of sandals, and they headed out. Nick had decided beforehand to take her to a little home-style café a few blocks from his house.

Once they were seated in the café and ordered, Johanna leaned back in the booth and sighed. "For a day off, I didn't get much of a break. Maybe tomorrow will be better."

Nick nodded. "Days off…sometimes I forget what those are. Actually I think I have a couple days off coming up. That'll give me a chance to catch up with things at the house."

Johanna smiled as the waitress brought their food to the table. She sampled her breakfast before speaking. "Now that's more like it," she said, gesturing to her scrambled eggs with salsa. "Very good salsa." She watched Nick for a moment. "So…what would you like to know about me?"

Nick swallowed a mouthful of hash browns. "Where are you from? You moved here a few months ago, you said. Where did you move from?"

"Montana. My family owned a ranch, lots of horses and cattle. I grew up roping cattle, riding horses. I had a beautiful mare, Sienna…she was my best friend. She was part Quarter Horse, part Paint; gorgeous black and white markings. It almost killed me, having to sell her." Johanna sighed, her eyes sad.

Nick loved her eyes. When her mood changed, the color changed. When she was happy, they were jade green. They darkened to emerald when she was nervous. Now, he noticed, they were pale green, almost like ice. "Why did you have to sell her? There are stables in Vegas, you know."

Johanna shook her head slightly. "That's another story for another time. What about you? Did you grow up here?"

He also shook his head. "No, I was born in Texas. Lots of siblings, almost all are involved in law of some form. District Attorney, lawyer, probation officer, the like…and me, the CSI. We get it from our parents. A Texas Supreme Court judge dad, and a lawyer mom. We had horses, too. Still have most of them. Since I've moved to Vegas I haven't had any animals, although I'm thinking about getting a dog."

"Really…let me know if you want to. We get a lot of impounds and surrenders." At Nick's puzzled look, she explained. "When the owner surrenders the dog—or cat—because they don't want to or can't take care of them anymore. It happens a lot."

Nick nodded as he finished the last of his breakfast. _So Johanna has a story in her past, too. Wonder how soon I can find out about it…and then I might tell her my story._

**_TBC..._**


	8. The date continues

A/N: I, the author of this story, do not own CSI in any way, shape, or form beyond the board game and a few puzzles.

_Previously: Nick nodded as he finished the last of his breakfast. So Johanna has a story in her past, too. Wonder how soon I can find out about it…and then I might tell her my story. _

The morning sun in Vegas sat partway up in the sky as Nick and Johanna left the café. "I'm sorry that the coffee wasn't the best there," he apologized as he unlocked the Tahoe. "Usually the coffee is better than sludge."

Johanna chuckled and shook her head. "It's not your fault; you didn't make it."

Her unbound hair glistened with gold and copper as the morning sun hit it, causing Nick to swallow hard. He didn't want their time together to end this soon. _Pull it together, Nicky. Ask her, 'Johanna, would you like to come over for better coffee?' Wait…my place is a mess. And my coffee supply is…almost gone. Damn. _His thoughts scattered as he realized Johanna had asked him a question. "What?"

"I said, would you like to have coffee at my place? I have some pretty good coffee…expensive, but wonderful," she repeated.

Nick nodded. "That'd be great." _Crisis averted, _he said to himself as he climbed into the driver's seat. The ten minute drive back to her house was stretched out a bit by morning traffic, but he soon pulled into the same spot as before. Getting out, he locked the vehicle before joining Johanna for the walk to the door.

"Let's see if I can catch him in the act," she said as she silently slid her key into the lock. Twisting the knob, she eased the door open and peeked inside, with Nick peering after her. Stealthily they crept inside and as Johanna quietly shut the door, Nick glanced around, his eyes finally landing on the cream-colored leather sofa. A small black ball of dog was curled up on the sofa; Amigo's head rested comfortably on the armrest, blissfully unaware that he was busted. Johanna put a finger to her lips as she slipped out of her sandals and padded softly over to the couch. Nick watched in amusement as she bent down to the sleeping dog's ear and whispered, "You are so busted, my friend." A laugh escaped the Texan's lips as the little dog jumped awake and bolted off the couch. His tail started wagging furiously when he saw Johanna heading into the kitchen. Both Amigo and Nick followed her as she breezed across the cool tile floor to the coffee machine.

"So what's this wonderful, expensive coffee you have, Johanna?" Nick asked, lowering his body onto one of the stools around the island.

She pulled a bag out of the cupboard. "Wonderful, expensive Blue Hawaiian. 40 bucks a pound, but it's worth it."

Nick covered his surprise with a laugh. "Now that's a coincidence."

Johanna turned to him, confusion crossing her pretty features. "What's a coincidence?"

"One of our lab techs…well, he's in the field now. Anyway, Greg Sanders has his own private stash of Blue Hawaiian. Sometimes he shares, but more often than not he doesn't," Nick explained. Feeling something lean against his leg, he reached down and rubbed Amigo's ears. The dog's tail thumped against his feet in thanks.

Pouring water into the machine, Johanna flipped the switch to brew before moving to another cupboard, pulling out a couple of mugs. "He has good taste."

Nick snorted. "In coffee, yes. In music and clothes…well, that's another story." He watched as Johanna set the mugs on the island before leaning against the countertop. "So what part of Montana are you from?"

"Bozeman. Our ranch was close to the mountains, nestled in a valley. The house itself used to be a hotel, back in the late 1800s." She sighed, her eyes drifting closed. "My room looked over the pasture, so I could see Sienna whenever I looked out the window." Her eyes flickered back open, fading to the icy green they had been at the café. After a few moments she turned to the machine, picked up the partly full coffee pot and poured them each a cup. Nick noticed her hand shaking slightly. He waited until she put the pot back and sat down on the stool next to him.

"What happened, Johanna?" He asked softly, placing his hand on hers.

She sat quietly for a long moment. Then she took a sip of coffee, cleared her throat, and told Nick her story.

**_TBC..._**


	9. Johanna's story

A/N: Same disclaimer as before. I've never raised cattle, so I resorted to what I've read about ranching and general farm knowledge, which I do have!

_Previously: She sat quietly for a long moment. Then she took a sip of coffee, cleared her throat, and told Nick her story. _

"In Montana, one of the big ways to make money is to raise cattle. We had one thousand head of Black Angus, all of them sound. We had hired hands to help us when we needed them, but Dad always wanted my brothers and me to do as much as we could, so we wouldn't have to rely on help all the time. Before we could walk, Cole, Gage, and Ian, my brothers, and I could ride. We were each given a horse for our birthday; I was seven when I got Sienna. Dad trained both us and our horse, and as soon as we were deemed 'worthy,' he would take us along on a morning check of the cattle." Johanna paused now and then to take a sip of coffee, and Nick didn't interrupt her at these pauses, only to nod when she offered him a coffee refill.

"Cole and I are the oldest, so we were in charge of specific chores on the ranch, along with attending college at the Montana University in Bozeman. Cole was the 'feed-man,' riding out once a week in the summer to grain the cattle. During the winter we brought them in closer to the ranch." Seeing Nick's confused look, she explained. "Our ranch was pretty big…riding the fence-line from one side of the barn all the way around to the same point was a good ten, fifteen miles by itself, and that's not counting the land it enclosed. That was my main job most days, to ride the fence and check it for breaks. Usually it would be just Dad and me riding out in the morning, but on the feeding morning, Cole would come with too. Dad would check the cattle, make sure there weren't any wounded or missing and what not, and I would ride the fence. Looking back on it now, I'm surprised something hadn't happened sooner." Nick blinked. _What the hell happened to her?_

"As soon as each of us kids were old enough to legally carry a gun, Dad made us carry a rifle whenever we went out checking the herd. I never had to use mine, but it made me feel safer, you know? And Dad insisted on each of us practice shooting, from ground and from horseback. Sienna didn't mind the noise, it was just something different." A whine interrupted Johanna's story. She glanced down at Amigo, who immediately ran to the back door and sat down. "That's his way of telling me he needs to go out. Excuse me." She rose and let the dog out into the fenced in backyard, and Nick took the moment to use the bathroom. Returning to the kitchen, he found Johanna holding the coffee pot. "One more refill, Nick?" she asked.

Nick shook his head. "No, I should stop so I can get some sleep before shift tonight. Water, though, would be great."

Nodding, Johanna opened the refrigerator and extracted a bottle of water, handing it to the Texan. Gesturing with her head towards the living room, she led Nick to the couch, curling her legs underneath her as she sat down. Nick claimed the other end of the couch, sitting so he could watch Johanna finish her story. Cradling her coffee mug in her hand, she continued.

"About two years ago, Dad and Cole rode out to check the herd. It wasn't a feeding morning, but I had an early lab at the college, and had to be there by 7:00, which meant I had to leave the house by 6:15. Each of us took care of our own horses, so I was up early, feeding Sienna, cleaning her stall, the regular drill. Dad offered to ride the fence for me so I could make it to my lab on time. Right when I was sitting down to lunch with a friend, I got a call from Cole. Dad…Dad was in the hospital." She drained her mug and set it on the coffee table.

"Cole had been checking the cattle when he heard gunshots. He jumped on Quake, his mare, and hotfooted it towards the firing. He had pulled out his rifle, but he didn't need it. Dad had been shot in the stomach by cattle rustlers but had managed to shoot one and chase the other away. Dad had already called 911 on his cell; by the time they got there, the rustler Dad shot had died, so they brought Dad in to the ER. When I got to the hospital he was still in surgery." She sighed. "He pulled through, but the bullet had paralyzed him from the waist down. The first few months were tough, but we managed to keep the ranch. Dad manages the paperwork, which used to be Mom's job. She helps him from time to time, but she got a job as the manager of the grocery store in Bozeman as well. Cole and Gage are in charge of tending the cattle now, and Ian helps out in the house. He's only 15 but can't wait to be able to ride out on his own.

"I graduated that spring with my degree and immediately put feelers out for open vet positions. It was my fault that Dad got shot. It should have been me. It was my job to ride the fence every day. Seeing him watching Cole and me ride off to check the herd every morning after he got home from the hospital…I knew how much he wanted to be riding out for himself. Dad had been home for eight months before I heard from the clinic here in Vegas. On a whim, I sold Sienna to a man in Texas, packed everything I had, and moved here. Sienna's 22, but has a couple good ranching years left in her, so even though I wanted to keep her, it was probably for the best. Leland…something. Can't remember his last name at the moment. Wife's name is…Cassie? Casey? No…Carrie. Seemed like real nice folks." Johanna leaned back and sighed. "And that's the story of how I came to Vegas."

As she went to let Amigo back in, Nick smiled. Leland and Carrie, living in Texas…that had to be his sister and her husband. _If I'm right, I bet they still have her. Damn, it's a small world sometimes._ When Johanna came back into the living room, Nick stood. "I've had a great time, Johanna, but I think it's time I head out."

Johanna nodded. "I had a great time too, Nick. Thanks for the invite."

Nick grinned. "Maybe we could do it again sometime?"

Walking him to the front door, Johanna waited until Nick pulled his shoes on before answering. "I'd like that." Reaching up, she pressed a gentle kiss against his cheek.

Surprised, Nick's grin grew into the full-blown Texas smile that charmed everyone. "I'll call you," he promised as he headed out to the Tahoe.

**_TBC..._**

Wow...what a story! Think Nick's brother-in-law is the one who bought Sienna? Or was it someone else?


	10. Poor Warrick

A/N: La la la, disclaimer, don't own CSI, la la la.

_Previously: Surprised, Nick's grin grew into the full-blown Texas smile that charmed everyone. "I'll call you," he promised as he headed out to the Tahoe._

Driving to his house, Nick thought about Johanna. That kiss…he reached a hand up and touched the spot where her lips had been. Her touch had been as soft as a butterfly, gentle and light. Nick smiled. _Yep, I think a girlfriend would be pretty good idea…and a dog. _

Arriving home, he changed into the tee shirt and sweatpants he usually slept in before crawling into bed. Just as he was drifting off to sleep, his phone rang. "'Lo?"

"Nick. It's Warrick."

"Warrick…what's up?" Nick suppressed a yawn as he sat up.

"You busy, man?" Warrick's voice was weary.

Nick knew the unasked question. "Nah. Come on over."

Within minutes Warrick was seated on Nick's sofa. The Texan had a sneaking suspicion that his friend had been driving aimlessly through Vegas. "'Rick, you want a beer or something?" he asked, heading to the kitchen.

Warrick shrugged. "Sure, a beer." Nick grabbed two longnecks and handed one to his friend before sitting in his recliner. Neither spoke for a few moments. Finally Warrick broke the silence. "Nick, do you think I could stay here for a day or two? There are too many memories for me to deal with right now."

Nick nodded. "What happened, man?"

The tall Black man sighed. "Tina and I had been having spats, you know? Just about little things, like not putting jelly on sandwiches or something like that. Anyways, she started working later shifts at the hospital…at least, that's what she was telling me." Warrick leaned his head into his hands. "Fool that I am, I believed her. Turns out she was fooling around with that doctor she had been with before me. And I believed her! Came home from shift a couple days ago to find her packing her bags. She told me she was moving in with him…and that she had talked to her lawyer about filing for divorce." He looked at Nick, the glisten of a tear in his eye. "Man, I had some doubts earlier, you know that. But I thought she and I could work it out! I didn't think it would come to this." Lapsing into silence, the two men sat, drinking their beers.

Not too much later Nick was back in his bed. Warrick had crashed in the spare room down the hall after another beer. Nick suspected the two beers his coworker had consumed in his living room weren't the first. Rolling onto his stomach, he let his mind drift back to Johanna. A smile reappeared on his face as he recalled every detail of the time they'd spent together, especially those last few moments. It slowly faded when Nick imagined what Johanna's reaction to his story might be. He could picture her eyes changing colors in…_in what? _He thought. _In fear, anger? _The last thing Nick pictured as he drifted into restless sleep was Johanna's piercing green eyes.

**_TBC..._**


	11. Paperwork, a phone call, and poker

A/N: Please recall the previous disclaimers. Nothing has changed.

_Previously: The last thing Nick pictured as he drifted into restless sleep was Johanna's piercing green eyes._

Nick awoke to the smell of coffee. _Warrick must be up, _he thought drowsily as he threw off the covers. Getting up, he swung through his bathroom before heading into the kitchen. Warrick sat at the table staring moodily into his coffee cup. Nick poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down across from his friend. For a few moments neither of them spoke. Finally Warrick broke the silence.

"Thanks for letting me crash here, man. I owe you one."

Nick smiled. "You're welcome to stay as long as you need to, 'Rick." That said, they finished drinking their coffee before getting dressed for work.

The shift that evening was uneventful. There were no new cases, so Grissom had them all catch up on paperwork. Nick finished the small amount of paperwork he had in the layout room slowly, his mind not completely into it. He kept picturing Johanna's reaction to his story.

"Nick, my man. How are things between you and the vet?" Greg's voice brought him back to the present.

"Good, Greg. Just fine," Nick answered. He really didn't want to talk about Johanna with Greg at the moment, so he changed the subject. "Warrick crashed at my place last night."

"Yeah, I know. He called me first, you know. But I had to turn him down…I had a date with me," Greg said, a smug smile on his face.

Nick glanced at the blond lab rat turned CSI. "Date, huh? With a girl?"

Greg's smug smile changed. "Yes…of course, Angelina had to drag Brad along."

The Texan grinned as well. "Did you like 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith', then, Greggo?" He gathered his papers and left before Greg could answer him. Dropping off the papers with Grissom, Nick searched for a quiet place to do make a phone call. "Hey, Carrie. It's Nick."

* * * *

His call to Carrie and Leland had lasted a while, and when it was finished, he found Sara and Catherine in the break room dealing a fresh hand of poker.

"C'mon, Nick, join the fun," Catherine said, offering him a handful of peanuts for betting. "I need help unseating Sara; she's killing me here."

"Cath, just because I've won the last 20 or so hands doesn't mean your luck won't turn around," Sara countered with a grin.

Nick chuckled and sat in for a few hands. An hour later Sara had the biggest pile of peanuts, and Nick's was gone; some he lost to Sara and some he ate. Finally shift was over, and Nick headed to the park for his jog. His thoughts were in overdrive. _I wonder how Zorro is doing, _he mused. _What's Johanna going to say? Maybe I'll run into her again…hope I do. If not, I'll call her. Will my plan work? And will she be happy about it? It's going to cost something, that's for sure. _Apparently Johanna wasn't in the jogging mood, for Nick didn't see her. After ten laps around the park, Nick finally headed home.

**_TBC..._**


	12. Memories

A/N: Ok, I'm late. Really sorry about that. Same deal with who belongs to whom. Also, have to thank for the recap of the Grave Danger episodes. Read on and enjoy!

_Previously: Apparently Johanna wasn't in the jogging mood, for Nick didn't see her. After ten laps around the park, Nick finally headed home. _

After showering, Nick scooped up the pile of mail and plopped onto the couch, clicking on the television. He flipped through the bills, tossed the junk to one side, and kept an ear on the highlights of the Mavericks game from the night before. He groaned when he realized they lost to Minnesota again. Hitting the power button, he sent the TV screen into darkness before leaning his head back against the couch. "How am I going to tell Johanna about what happened to me? Being in a coffin, buried alive? How can she understand what Walter Gordon did to me?" he said softly. Nick closed his eyes, remembering…

_Coming to, Nick has no idea where he is. When he tries to sit up, he bumps his head; when he reaches around, he bumps against a wall, very close, on each side. At least he can see a little - there are a few glow-sticks by his feet... lying next to his handgun. Breathing heavily, Nick begins to explore every inch of his surroundings. There's no way out: he's in a coffin of some sort. Then he finds a tape recorder. Pressing play, he hears a voice congratulating him for following the evidence to here - he's proven himself a real CSI. Now he can use his gun to kill himself, or try to conserve his breath. Whatever he does, it won't matter: he's going to die here. _

_The team had found him, but they know something he doesn't: the coffin has explosives underneath. In order to get Nick out alive, they have to equalize his weight with dirt. Even with the lid of the box open, Nick has to lie still as they clip something to his belt, then use a backhoe to dump 200 pounds of dirt on him. With a heave he is yanked out of the coffin a second before the explosives detonate. _

Nick's eyes shot open, and he sat up with a start, breathing hard. The memories were still vivid, but this was the first time his heart hadn't raced as hard as usual. Picking up his phone, he punched in Johanna's number. "Hey, Johanna. It's Nick."

"Hi. How was work?"

He smiled. Just the sound of her voice calmed him down. "Boring. No new cases, so I took care of paperwork." Nick took a deep breath. "Do you…I'm taking some personal time today, so I won't be working tonight. Do you think you could come over?"

After a pause, Johanna answered, "Sure. If you give me your address, I can be there whenever you need me to be."

Nick rattled off his address. "I think I'm gonna get some sleep first. Can you be here around seven?"

"Seven it is. Nick…you okay?" Johanna asked.

"I'll explain when you come over tonight," Nick promised. As they hung up, Nick had a better feeling than the night before. He felt that things were going to be fine. At least, he really hoped so.

**_TBC..._**

Sounds like Nick's going to tell Johanna his story. How will she take it? And should he ask her to stay with him for the night? Platonically, of course... Leave me a review!


	13. Steaks and beer

A/N: As usual, I own anybody that you don't recognize. Enjoy, and review, please!

_Previously: "I'll explain when you come over tonight," Nick promised. As they hung up, Nick had a better feeling than the night before. He felt that things were going to be fine. At least, he really hoped so. _

Nick cracked open an eye, gazing at the clock beside his bed. 6:15 PM. Yawning, he stretched before getting up. Wandering into the kitchen, he opened the refrigerator and stared into the depths. "Meager pickings there," he said to no one in particular. Aside from the bottles of water and the last beer, he had an unopened twelve pack of Coke. As for food, the lettuce was still good, as were a couple of tomatoes and a chunk of cheese. There were half a dozen eggs in the carton, and a half gallon of milk that, Nick realized after taking a whiff, was undrinkable. Dumping it down the sink, he sighed. _Should have stopped at the store_, he reckoned. _It looks like we'll be eating something delivered. _He made his way back to his bedroom to change.

Pulling on a pair of jeans, Nick heard a knock on the door. He grabbed a clean t-shirt, managing to get it on before he made it to the door. After checking the peephole, Nick opened the door to let Johanna in. "Johanna, hi. Come on in."

"Sorry I'm early, Nick," she said as she stepped through the door. She had a duffle bag slung over her shoulder and a grocery bag in her left hand.

Nick smiled. "Don't worry about it. Would you like something to drink?"

Johanna dropped her duffle bag behind his couch. "Water is fine, thanks." She followed him into the kitchen, still carrying the grocery bag.

"I didn't make it to the grocery store, so it's looking like take-out," Nick apologized as he offered Johanna a bottle of water. "Sorry I didn't plan ahead."

She chuckled, stepping around him to set the bag in the refrigerator before accepting the water. "Then it's a good thing I brought those, then," she said, shutting the door and opening the water to take a drink.

Nick rubbed his chin. "Brought what?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Steaks and beer."

Speechless, the Texan's toffee brown eyes met her sea green gaze. A small smile played on her lips, and Nick couldn't help himself. He closed the space between them and pressed his lips to hers. Fire raced through his veins as Johanna pressed her body against him when he deepened the kiss. Moving slightly, Nick pinned Johanna against the wall. He felt her hands roaming across his body and also felt the front of his jeans growing tighter. A groan rumbled in his throat as he caught one of her hands and pressed it against his groin. Tugging slightly, she unfastened the button and was reaching for the zipper when…

"Nick? Earth to Nick…" Johanna's voice broke into Nick's reverie, ending his torrid fantasy. He blinked, his eyes meeting her jade ones. "Welcome back," she said with a grin.

"I'm sorry…What were you saying?" Nick asked, embarrassed.

"I said I brought steaks and beer, and you kind of drifted away into La La Land," Johanna replied, taking another drink of water. She glanced at him. "Nick, when you called, you seemed like you wanted to talk or something."

He slowly nodded. "Yeah, I did. Do you want to eat first?"

The woman shrugged. "Well, if I were in your shoes, I'd want to get whatever it is off my chest." Hearing the rumble from Nick's stomach, she smiled. "Or we could split the difference: start the food prep and talk. How's that?"

Even with the topic hanging over his head, the Texan smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

**_TBC..._**

All that stands between now and finding out Johanna's reaction is your review. So...ball's in your court.


	14. Nick's story and a request

A/N: Hey, two chapters in one day! That's a record for me! As usual, I own Johanna. That's it.

_Previously: Even with the topic hanging over his head, the Texan smiled. "Sounds like a plan." _

"Do you have a grill?" Johanna asked, rummaging through the refrigerator. She glanced at Nick, who shook his head. "That's okay, I brought one. It's in my bag. Can you grab it for me?"

Nick remembered she left the bag behind his couch, and soon he brought the George Foreman grill into the kitchen. "Does this little tray thing go with it?" he asked, holding it up.

Johanna nodded as she pulled out the egg carton and shut the refrigerator door. "Got a pot?" When Nick found it, she placed the eggs in it and nodded towards the sink tap. "Cover those with water, then set it to a boil, please." Once that was done and the timer set, the two set about creating a salad.

"In May, I was working a scene that ended up being staged," Nick said softly as he washed the lettuce. "Walter Gordon's daughter had been put in prison, and he took his revenge on the CSI team by kidnapping me from that scene." Johanna watched him from the table where she was grating cheese, but said nothing. "He buried me alive in a Plexiglas box, like a coffin. Left me with glow sticks, my gun, and a tape recorder with a message that I was going to die no matter what. I could choose: suffocate or use my gun. Gordon sent a ransom to the crime lab, but when the money was delivered, he killed himself. The team had an online link to watch me in the box. He wanted them to watch me die." The timer for the eggs went off, and Johanna went to shut off the burner and change the water, plugging in the grill on the way. Nick had filled two bowls with torn lettuce and was in the process of chopping tomatoes and the lone onion he had forgotten about.

"When anyone in the lab clicked on the link to watch me, it turned on a light in the box. For the light to come on, the fan that gave me air shut off. I finally shot out the light, which in turn compromised the framing of the box.

"I though I was going to die, so I made a recording saying goodbye." Swallowing hard, he continued, "Then the ants came. I was being eaten alive by them. But somehow, being eaten by ants was what saved me. Grissom figured out that I was buried in a nursery, 'cause apparently that type of ants is only found in nurseries here in Nevada. Add to that fact that Gordon's daughter worked at a nursery, and bingo, they found me. By that time I was hallucinating and about to put a bullet in my head. They found me just in time. But before they could get me out, the team discovered that there were explosives under the box. They buried me in dirt before yanking me out. They got me out alive. That's all I could ask for."

Nick realized there were tears in his eyes, tears that he couldn't control. This was the first time he had told someone his horror story. He didn't know how Johanna would react. Reaching for a napkin, he felt her arms wrap around him, and he realized he really needed that. Nick turned to her and pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her. A few tears fell, unchecked, tracing down his cheeks. Johanna reached up and wiped one away with her thumb before gently pressing a kiss to his lips. A rumble from Nick's stomach brought a chuckle from both of them. "I think I should get those steaks on the grill," Johanna said.

Nick nodded. "I'll finish the salads, then. Looks like you found the Ranch," he said as he wiped his eyes.

Within minutes the steaks were grilling and the salads were finished, topped with grated cheese and diced eggs. Johanna grabbed a couple beers and offered one to Nick. "To second chances," she said after she'd opened hers.

Nick smiled. "Second chances and people to talk to," he added, gazing into her eyes. Johanna blushed but held his gaze as they clinked bottles.

By the time dinner was over, the atmosphere had lightened considerably. Nick found he could laugh easier than he had in months. As they cleaned up the kitchen and washed the dishes, he couldn't help but be in a playful mood.

"Nick!" Johanna protested, laughing, as he flicked soap bubbles at her. She swatted him with the dishtowel she held before turning back to the plate she was attempting to dry. When he moved to wipe off the table, Johanna scooped up a handful of suds and waited until Nick started to turn back to the sink before blowing them in his direction. He didn't say anything, just captured her in his arms. Holding her with one arm, he spotted her nose with soap suds, causing her to giggle. Nick couldn't help himself; he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. When he pulled away, he noticed her eyes were the same sea green they had been in his fantasy.

"Stay with me tonight," he whispered. Johanna didn't say anything. Instead, she captured his lips in another kiss.

**_TBC..._**

Man, I liked the past two chapters! If you did too, review!


	15. The 'morning' after

A/N: No I didn't die. I'm still kicking around here. Sorry this is really late in being updated. I'll try to update again soon. As usual, I own Johanna.

_Previously: Nick couldn't help himself; he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. When he pulled away, he noticed her eyes were the same sea green they had been in his fantasy. "Stay with me tonight," he whispered. Johanna didn't say anything. Instead, she captured his lips in another kiss._

Light filtered through the window blinds, finally bringing Nick out of his slumber. Stretching, he turned onto his side and smiled as he remembered the night before. Johanna had rooted out a deck of cards and they ended up betting peanuts for hours in hands of Texas Hold'em. The Texan had to admit, Johanna was good; her face gave away almost nothing. Eventually they both ran out of peanuts; most of them had been eaten during the games. Johanna shared some of the pranks she and Cole would play on their younger brothers, and Nick told her stories about his siblings. He didn't tell much about Carrie and Leland. That little bit of information could wait until he could finish the rest of his plan.

The sound of running water finally invaded his senses. _Johanna must be in the shower, _he reckoned. Getting up, Nick pulled on his jeans from the night before; he hadn't spilled on them, so they should still be decent. He found a clean shirt and pulled it on as he went to make coffee. As it percolated he searched the kitchen again, laughing at the thought that some food fairy had made a visit while they slept. However, the search came up fruitless, literally and figuratively. Nick heard the shower stop, and before long Johanna padded into the kitchen, her wet hair pulled back into a bun.

"Sleep well?" Nick asked, grabbing two coffee cups from the cupboard.

Johanna nodded as Nick poured her a cup of coffee. "Extremely. The bed was so comfortable. The only thing missing was Amigo."

Nick chuckled. "I'm sure he missed you too. However, I don't think I need a bunch of dog hair in my guest bed."

"Yeah, he does tend to shed a lot," Johanna agreed, sipping her coffee. "Speaking of which, I should go home and make sure he's not getting into anything. He has a habit of doing that."

"Like sleeping on the couch?" Nick asked with a grin, recalling Johanna sneaking into her house to catch Amigo on the couch.

Johanna laughed. "Yes, along with some other things. Then I get to go back to work tonight, see how Zorro is doing. I hope someone adopts him."

Nick glanced at his companion. "What happens if he isn't adopted?" he asked as he drained his coffee cup.

"He'll be euthanized. That's something that just gets to me, you know? The fact that impounded or stray animals can only be held for a certain amount of time. I'd take him if I could, but I know I wouldn't be able to stop with him." Johanna's eyes had lightened to a celadon shade. "Amigo is a rescue dog; he was scheduled to be euthanized the day after I adopted him." Finishing the last of her coffee, she shook her head when Nick offered her a refill. "So what are your big plans for today?"

The Texan glanced at the clock. "I should get some groceries, for one. There's nothing suitable to eat. Then I'll probably bum around the house until my shift starts."

Johanna nodded. Getting up, she placed her empty cup in the sink and stretched before turning back to Nick. "Thanks for the invite, Nick. I had a good time." As she started to move past him to collect her things, he caught her hand.

"I should be thanking you for coming over. I wanted to get the past off my chest before this thing between us went further," Nick said.

Celadon eyes changed to sea green as she came closer. "This thing between us…Is there an 'us', Nick?" she asked softly.

He pulled her into his embrace. "I'd like there to be. What about you?" he replied, his brown eyes catching her green ones.

Johanna met his gaze. "I'm in."

**_TBC..._**

Okay, it's not the best ending, I know. And for those who were rooting for a non-platonic event, sorry; I decided to keep it clean. Please review!


	16. An unsurprising surprise

A/N: WHOO HOO!!! I'm back! I'm sorry that it's taken forever and a day for me to get another chapter posted. Hopefully it was worth the wait. And the next chapter shouldn't take so long to get up. Again, I'm sorry for the delay. I own Johanna, Amigo, and Zorro. Read, enjoy, and review, please!

_Previously: He pulled her into his embrace. "I'd like there to be. What about you?" he replied, his brown eyes catching her green ones._

_Johanna met his gaze. "I'm in."_

Nick had a few errands to run before work. Swinging by Petco, he purchased a portakennel, dog food, nylabones, a food dish, the whole nine yards. Before hitting the grocery store, he stopped at the vet clinic. He didn't expect to see Johanna there; this was one time he hoped he didn't see her.

"I'd like to adopt a dog," he said to the woman at the desk.

Looking up at him, the receptionist smiled. Nick recognized that smile; it was akin to a wolf's smile when it spots a sheep. "Well, we have many dogs up for adoption. I could show you if you'd like."

Nick shook his head. "No, I have a specific dog in mind. I want to adopt Zorro, the pit bull mix that was shot a few days ago."

"Sir, I don't think you really want to adopt him. There are some other dogs, perfectly healthy dogs that…"

"Is Zorro up for adoption?" Nick interrupted.

"Well, yes, but…" The receptionist couldn't dissuade Nick, so with a sigh she pulled out an adoption form. "Sign here, here, and here. The adoption fee is $125, although I would accept $100 and a date."

Nick chuckled and shook his head as he signed the form. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm seeing someone."

With a shrug, the woman got up and disappeared into the back. Within minutes she was back with a limping Zorro. "He's still on antibiotics, but Dr. Andrews has been in every day, and cleared him for adoption. Here's the food he's been on. Do you need anything else?"

Shaking his head again, Nick said, "No, I think I have everything, thanks." After paying the adoption fee and for the antibiotics, he took Zorro out to the Tahoe and lifted him in. "Do you remember this, boy? Last time you were in here you were pretty out of it." As Nick was about to start the car, he had a sudden thought. What if, while he was in the grocery store, Zorro decided to tear up the car? Changing his route, Nick drove home. Groceries could wait until after work.

What awaited Nick at work was a jewelry store smash and grab. Warrick and Sara were working an armed robbery at a convenience store, and Greg was assigned to work an apparent suicide in a sleazy motel with Catherine. After he handed out the assignments, Grissom glanced at Nick. "It's not night of the pifflings, is it?" he asked wryly.

Nick chuckled. "Naw, not tonight. I'm good."

The smash and grab scene was typical: broken glass, missing high priced jewelry, and, lucky for Nick, more than a few drops of blood. After hours of dusting for and lifting fingerprints, swabbing, talking to the store owner, and collecting various samples of evidence, he made his way back to the lab. Nick dropped off his evidence with the lab rats and nodded hello to Mia, who was back from her sick leave.

"Nick, could I talk to you for a moment?" Grissom called from his office. Going into the office, Nick took a seat. "I just wanted to know how things have been going for you," Grissom said.

Nick shrugged. "Well, the flashbacks keep coming, but they're not as bad as they used to be. I talked to someone about them."

Grissom leaned forward, propping his elbows on his desk. "That someone wouldn't happen to be a veterinarian, would it?" Seeing Nick's surprised look, Grissom smiled slightly. "I saw how you looked at her, and how she looked at you, when she was here. I'm not going to pry, but I am glad you've found someone you trust enough to talk to."

"I also adopted a dog. Figured that if I couldn't talk to her for some reason, I could talk to him," Nick added.

Grissom nodded as Catherine entered the office. "Grissom, could I have a word with you?" she asked in a clipped tone.

He nodded. "Of course, Catherine. Nick, keep up the good work." With that, Nick was dismissed. As the office door closed behind him, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. Flipping it open, he dialed Johanna's number.

"Hey, beautiful," he drawled when she answered. "How's your night going?"

"Hello to you too, Nick," she chuckled. "I've been busy. We've had two dogfight surgeries and I had to euthanize a dog with cancer. And yet I've managed to make that mountain of paperwork on my desk into a couple foothills. You?"

Nick smiled. He loved to listen to her voice. "I'm waiting on results from my case. Not much else."

"Hey, I have some great news. Zorro was adopted today!"

"Yeah? Sounds like you're elated."

"Well, apparently some tall, handsome Texan decided to take him home. Any chance I might know who this fella is?"

Nick grinned. "I was kind of hoping that I could surprise you the next time you came over. Guess that's not going to happen."

"Oh, I'm sure you can find many ways of surprising me." He could hear the smile in her voice. Something sounded on her end of the line. "Nick, there's an emergency. I have to run."

"All right, I'll talk to you later." Saying goodbye, he flipped his phone shut. "Oh, Johanna, you have no idea the surprise I have in store for you," he said softly.

**_TBC..._**

I had to add that part about night of the pifflings (from the season 3 episode "Fight Night"). I loved Nick's piffling speech. Anyways, please review!


	17. A real surprise

A/N: Here's the next update! It's been a while, but I think this is a good one. As always, I only own Johanna and the critters. Enjoy!

_Previously: "All right, I'll talk to you later." Saying goodbye, he flipped his phone shut. "Oh, Johanna, you have no idea the surprise I have in store for you," he said softly._

A few hours later the results were back from Nick's smash and grab. Some of the fingerprints and all of the blood samples matched to a criminal with a history of robberies. Brass's men found him at his last known address, and before long Nick had a confession. _The paperwork can wait until tomorrow, since there's not much left, _he thought. All he wanted to do was stop for groceries and go home, hopefully to an intact house.

"Hey Nick, someone's up front asking for you," Warrick said as Nick passed him on the way out.  
"Thanks, 'Rick," Nick said as he changed his route. Heading out to the reception desk, he spotted a familiar couple. "Carrie, Leland, y'all made it! Did you bring her?"

Carrie laughed. "Yes, little brother, we did. We lost the directions you gave us, though, and we have to head back as soon as we can."

"Well, how about you follow me out there? And we can settle up when we get there," Nick replied. With that decided, the trio headed out.

An hour later, after saying goodbye to Carrie and Leland, Nick arrived home, his arms loaded with groceries. Setting his load on the counter, he quickly put away the perishables before heading to his bedroom to let Zorro out of his kennel. "Once we're used to each other, you can have the run of the place while I'm gone," Nick promised as the dog came out, taking in his surroundings before limping towards the door. Following his dog, Nick grabbed the leash from the table and clipped it onto Zorro's collar for a walk.

Rounding the last corner on the way back to his place, Nick felt a pull on the leash. Zorro strained against his collar, trying to get to Johanna, who was lounging against her dusty truck. "Hey there, good lookin'," she said as the two got closer. Zorro tried to jump on Johanna, but she managed to keep him on all fours and crouched down to pet him.

Nick grinned. "Hey yourself, beautiful," he said.

"I was talking to Zorro," Johanna said with a chuckle. With one more ear-rub, she straightened. "How was your day, handsome? Finish that case of yours?" she asked, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Hear that, Zorro? I'm handsome," Nick gloated jokingly to his dog as he draped his arm around her shoulders. "My day was pretty good. The case is closed; pretty much open and shut. How was yours? What was the emergency when we were talking?"

Johanna sighed. "A family brought in their German Shepherd that had been hit by a car. We tried to save him, but there was too much damage. The worst part was telling the family, especially the kids."

They started walking towards the door. "Hey, remember how I said I had wanted to surprise you, and you said I could find many ways of surprising you?" Nick asked. Johanna nodded as they reached the door. As Nick unlocked the door and opened it, he continued, "I think I have a surprise you're going to like." As they entered Nick's place, he unclipped the leash from Zorro's collar, letting him roam free. Taking his time, he put away the rest of the groceries on the counter, knowing full well that he was teasing Johanna.

"So what's the surprise?" Johanna finally asked as Nick put the last box in the cupboard.

Nick grinned. "I think we should eat first. I know a great Chinese place. Do you like Chinese?"

Johanna groaned good-naturedly. "I love it. But if you don't tell me what the surprise is, I'm going to have to…do something."

"Just something?" Nick asked with a grin. He ducked as Johanna swatted at him with her hand. "Let's get something to eat, then I'll take you to the surprise. Deal?"

"All right, deal."

Nick chuckled. "Let me put Zorro in his kennel and we'll go."

After the meal, Nick drove towards the edge of the city. "Have you ever been out this way, Johanna?" he asked, watching for the turnoff.

She shook her head, watching the sun slowly descend from the sky. "No…what's out here?"

"Just a couple more miles and you'll see," Nick replied. Within minutes he pulled into the parking lot of a stable. "Here we are."

Johanna got out and looked around. Horses of various breeds and colors grazed in paddocks. She watched as an Appaloosa squealed and gave chase to a Palomino yearling. As Nick came around the Tahoe, she turned to him. "Is this the surprise?"

"Part of it," he said, taking her hand in his. "I come here every so often, although I don't have a horse. They have stable horses for people to ride, and I thought maybe we could go riding sometimes." Leading her inside, he nodded to the stable manager, who smiled knowingly. Walking the aisles, Nick showed Johanna which horses were the stable horses, especially his usual mount, a black Quarter Horse gelding named Tux.

"He looks like a smooth ride," Johanna said. "Of course, I'd have to see him in motion to know for sure."

Nick nodded. "What about this one? She just came in today," he said, moving a few stalls down.

Johanna followed him. Peering at the black and white Paint mare the stall, she was silent for a long moment. Finally she spoke. "She's got some nice lines, and has the look of a veteran." After another moment she turned to Nick. "She looks so much like Sienna."

Savoring the moment, Nick kissed Johanna's forehead. "She should, honey. She is Sienna."

**_TBC..._**


	18. It's not a joke

A/N: Yay, another chapter! I'm sorry it's so late in coming, and I'll do my darndest to get another chapter out ASAP. As usual, I don't own any of the CSI characters. Enjoy!

_Previously: Savoring the moment, Nick kissed Johanna's forehead. "She should, honey. She is Sienna." _

"You've got to be kidding," Johanna said dubiously as the horse flicked her ears in the direction of their voices.

Nick shook his head. "I did some research. When you told me the story about what happened in Montana, you said that you sold Sienna to a man named Leland, who happened to live in Texas with his wife Carrie." As Johanna nodded, he continued. "Well, I called my sister Carrie and asked if she or her husband had bought any horses in the past six months, and she said that Leland had. He'd bought a black paint Quarter Horse sight unseen from a woman in Montana and had a friend bring her down to their ranch in Texas. Carrie said that the mare was still sound and healthy at 22 and should be a good extra ranch horse. I told her about you and the story you told me, and said I wanted to buy Sienna back to surprise you. She said she'd discuss it with Leland and get back to me. And," he gestured to the stall, "you can see what they decided."

Johanna exhaled the breath she had been absentmindedly holding. "So let me get this straight…I sold Sienna to your brother-in-law, who sold her to you…"

"To give back to you," Nick finished for her. The mare whickered in her stall as Johanna turned to look at her. Sienna tossed her head and whickered again, as if to ask _Well, aren't you going to come in and say hi?_ Slowly Johanna slid back the bolt on the stall door and stepped inside. As the mare stepped forward and shoved her head against Johanna's chest, the woman wrapped her arms around the horse's neck and buried her face into the coarse mane. Nick quietly slipped over to Tux's stall so Johanna could have some privacy.

Hours later, both Nick and Johanna were back at their respective jobs. Finishing the paperwork from his smash and grab case, Nick sat back in the chair and rolled his shoulders, relaxing the muscles. Sighing, he glanced at the clock: 11:05. It felt like he'd been doing paperwork longer than an hour, since that's the first thing he worked on when he clocked in.

Catherine entered the break room. "Hey, Nicky," she said, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and sitting across from him at the table. "How's it going?"

"Can't complain," he said. "How's Lindsey?"

"Oh, you know. Typical teenager…everything's my fault when something's wrong," the redhead said with a shrug. Taking a drink, she continued, "Math problems, boy problems, overall life problems, all my fault. Ah, but she'll grow out of it. I was just like her at that age, and I grew out of it."

Nick chuckled. "Yeah, I was like that, too. Minus the boy problems, of course."

Setting down her water bottle, Catherine propped her elbows up on the table and rested her chin in her hands. "So how are things going with the vet?" she inquired.

"Great," Nick said with a smile. "I think I really surprised her today."

"How?" Catherine asked.

"Johanna had a horse named Sienna when she was growing up in Montana. When she moved here after an accident, she sold Sienna to someone in Texas," Nick said, giving the cliff notes version. "It turns out that she sold her horse to my brother, Leland. I bought her back from him, and surprised Johanna with her tonight."

Catherine's eyes widened. "You bought her a horse?"

Nick shook his head. "Not just any horse, her horse. The first time she told me about Sienna, she said she wanted to keep her."

"So why'd she sell her?"

"Johanna thought Sienna had a few good ranching years left in her. But Leland was just using her as a backup ranch horse. So it worked out perfectly. Once they heard the story, Carrie and Leland dropped the price we had originally come up with." He chuckled. "They said it'd be worth the difference in what they paid for her."

Catherine nodded slowly. "So what did Johanna think?"

The Texan chuckled. "At first she didn't believe it. Once it sunk in, she cried a bit, but then she was fine. She couldn't believe that I had found Sienna." Nick chuckled. "It took a lot of talking to convince Johanna that we had to go to work. She made me promise to go riding with her the next time we both had the day off."

"So are you going to have time for work? You know, now that you have a dog and a girlfriend who just got her childhood horse back?" Catherine asked with a grin.

Nick playfully swatted her arm with his paperwork as he got up to leave. "You bet I will. Gotta make money somehow. Catch you later, Cath." Exiting the break room, he dropped off the paperwork in Grissom's office and headed out to find another assignment.

**_TBC..._**

I know it's probably not my best chapter, but hopefully it's good enough for my faithful readers.


	19. A rash of break ins

A/N: I can't believe I've experiencesd writer's block on this story for a full year and a half. Yikes! Well, here's a new chapter, and I'm going to work on getting more out in a timely manner. Hopefully some of my readers have stuck around! I don't own CSI.

_Previously: Exiting the break room, he dropped off the paperwork in Grissom's office and headed out to find another assignment._

Nick was relieved when his shift ended. He hadn't got much sleep before he came into work. _That's your own fault, bud, _he thought to himself. Between grocery shopping, meeting with Carrie and Leland, walking Zorro, and surprising Johanna with Sienna, he had gotten just a few hours of sleep. Heading out to his SUV, Nick smiled. He intended to make up for lost time, just as soon as he fed and walked Zorro.

Over the following couple months Nick and Johanna didn't get to spend a lot of time together. A crime spree in Vegas had Nick working double shifts and overtime; Johanna immersed herself in her job, Amigo, and Sienna. Occasionally they would get the chance to meet for dinner or go riding, but for the most part their contact was limited to phone calls.

Nick quickly learned that with his schedule, owning a dog was a challenge. Lucky for him, Zorro was a mellow dog who was content with a chew toy and a bed to sprawl on. Johanna had offered to run over on her break to check on the dog while he was recovering; once he had healed she kept up the habit. Nick was grateful for that, because although Zorro was housebroken he still felt a bit guilty about leaving him at home while he was working, especially when he ended up pulling a double. On those occasions, Johanna would take Zorro to her place so he could romp in the backyard with Amigo.

"All right, guys," Grissom said at the beginning of the night's shift. "Warrick, Brass found a couple addresses for you to check in your case. Make sure you've got uniforms with you, just in case. Catherine, three DBs at a no-tell motel. Take Greg. Sara and Nick, take a look at the information about the recent rash of house break-ins. See if there's anything that link the cases together." With that the team dispensed.

Grissom found Nick and Sara poring over files and evidence a few hours later. "Any headway?"

"Each place is ransacked, but the big items—TVs, stereos, electronics—are all untouched," Sara replied. "It looks like the perp goes only for jewelry and money. That makes me suspect that our perp is doing this on foot or on a bicycle. Also, homes that get hit are owned or rented by night shifters. Our perp does his—or her—homework."

"The spots that are hit hardest," Nick added, "are the most likely places where people keep their valuables: sock drawers, jewelry boxes, portable safes. Wall safes are pried open; from the photos, the pry marks are similar, but I'm waiting for conformation on those findings. Mandy's got the fingerprints from all the scenes, but apparently the lab is backed up with cases from days and swing. I'll try to convince her to put a rush on it."

Grissom rubbed his forehead. "Keep looking for links," he finally said. "I don't want this to end up on my fish board." Just then his pager went off. After reading the display, he looked at the two. "Sara, grab your kit. There's been another break-in. Nick, I can't let you come with on this."

Nick stared as Grissom, incredulous. "Why not?" he asked.

"You're too close to this now," Grissom replied. "The address is Johanna's."

**_TBC..._**

Dun dun DUN! What's going to happen?


	20. Off the case

A/N: See? I got this chapter posted a lot faster! As usual, I don't own anything CSI-related.

_Previously: "You're too close to this now," Grissom replied. "The address is Johanna's."_

"Johanna's?" Nick echoed, his gut twisting. He knew she was at the clinic, but at the same time worry coursed through him. "Can I at least be the one to notify her?"

Grissom shook his head. "You know I can't let you do that, Nick. Brass sent a uniform over to bring her here. She'll have to wait in the visitor's lounge, of course, but you can talk to her when she gets here. Don't discuss anything about the case with her." He shook his head, heading for the door. "Nick, you're off the case. Have Hodges put all this away, and find out if Warrick or Catherine need assistance." With that he left the room.

After sending Johanna a text to call him, Nick went to find Hodges to relay Grissom's request before going off in search of his other teammates. A quick call to Catherine yielded nothing: she and Greg had the scene covered. Searching for Warrick, Nick finally found him in the layout room, staring at the papers in front of him. "Hey, Warrick," Nick said as he leaned against the doorframe. "Anything come of those addresses Brass found?"

Warrick shrugged. "One was a house that burned last week. The family living at the other insisted they'd never heard of my guy. Brass is going to check the validity of that." He leaned back and linked his hands behind his head. "How about your case? The house break-ins, right?"

Nick nodded. "I've been pulled off it. Johanna's house was hit tonight."

Warrick's eyebrows shot up. "Your Johanna?"

"Yeah."

"Does she know?"

Nick shrugged slightly. "According to Grissom, Brass sent a uniform to the clinic to notify her. I'm heading to reception to see if she's there, but Grissom said to check and see if you needed help with your case."

"Well, right now I've got nothing that needs help," Warrick replied. "But if I do, I'll find you."

Flipping him a wave, Nick headed to reception just as his phone rang. "Stokes."

"Nick." Johanna's voice was uncertain. "I'm at the reception desk at the crime lab."

His pace quickened. "I'm on my way." Within moments he rounded the corner and spotted Johanna pacing near the reception desk. The uniformed officer nodded when he saw Nick approaching. "Johanna," Nick called to her as he approached. She turned, and Nick saw the questions in her emerald eyes. He glanced at the receptionist. "Judy, please give Dr. Andrews a visitor's badge. I'll take her back to the lounge." After Johanna signed her name to the visitor's log and accepted the badge, Nick led her towards the lounge. "Did they tell you anything?" he asked.

Johanna shook her head. "No. The officer didn't say anything besides telling me that there was an incident at my home and that I needed to come with him. Nick, what's going on?"

They had reached the visitor's lounge, and Nick held the door open for her. "For one, it's an ongoing case."

"But now I'm a victim," Johanna retorted, resuming her pacing once she was in the room.

"That's true, but that also brings me to my second point. Grissom took me off the case. I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize the outcome of the case, whether it be looking at evidence or telling you what I do know about it." Nick pulled her into a hug. "Believe me, I wish I could tell you what I do know."

Johanna sighed, frustrated. "I know you can't. I just…I left Amigo home tonight. Sometimes I take him to work with me, but I left him home today." She looked at Nick, concern filling her eyes. "I have to find out if he's okay."

**_TBC..._**

What do you think? Should Amigo be fine, or should something happen to him?


	21. And Amigo is

A/N: *Insert usual don't-own-CSI disclaimer here* And now we find out what happened to Amigo...

_Previously: She looked at Nick, concern filling her eyes. "I have to find out if he's okay."_

Brass knocked on the door after a half hour had passed. "Johanna Andrews?" he asked formally. Johanna nodded, and he continued. "I'm Captain Jim Brass with the LVPD. I understand you already know CSI Stokes."

Johanna nodded. "Captain Brass, what happened? My dog…"

"Black and tan German Shepherd mix? Wearing a blue collar?" Johanna nodded again. Brass smiled slightly. "He's fine. Animal Control is bringing him to the lab. First things first. You're probably wondering why you were brought in." He paused for a second. "Nick, Grissom tells me you're off the case?" This time it was Nick's turn to nod. "Okay. Ms. Andrews, your house was burglarized this evening. We don't know yet what or how much has been taken, so once the crime lab has done the voodoo that they do so well I can take you in so you can take an inventory on your belongings."

While Brass was talking, Johanna had reached for Nick's hand; he squeezed it reassuringly as they listened. Finally Johanna spoke. "What aren't you telling me?"

"This break-in wasn't the first," Brass replied. "But there was something that the other scenes didn't have: blood. Apparently your dog bit the perp, and he left his DNA on your kitchen floor. I've got officers checking the hospitals in case he shows up. However, that means that your dog will have to stay here until we get all evidence from him." His phone rang, and he excused himself to answer it.

Johanna exhaled, her eyes darkening to a deep hunter green, as dark as Nick had ever seen her eyes. "Who the hell would break into my house?" she said quietly, anger creeping in her voice. "What kind of despicable low-life _scum_ would go around breaking into houses? Don't answer that." Rising, she began pacing again. "Someone should break into that guy's house; see how he likes it."

Brass came back into the room and gestured to Nick. "Grissom just called," the captain said quietly. "He said that you can bring Ms. Andrews to the house so she can collect some essentials." His phone rang again, and Brass once again left the room.

Nick turned to Johanna. "Let's get you out of here," he suggested.

Johanna stopped pacing and faced him, the anger fading from her eyes. "I should go back to the clinic," she admitted. "I'm sure they'll understand, but I want to make sure there isn't an emergency. Besides," a hint of a smile crossed her pretty face, "my truck is still there." They passed Brass, who acknowledged them with a nod, on the way out of the lounge. "I need to figure out where I'm going to stay until I can get my house back."

Stopping at reception long enough for Johanna to sign out, Nick led the way to the Tahoe. "You're going to stay with me, beautiful," he said simply. As he opened the passenger side door for her, Nick caught her smile as she gently kissed his cheek.

************************************************************************

After what seemed like an eternity, Nick finally pulled into his usual parking spot at his place. He sat in the Tahoe for a moment, thinking. After taking Johanna to her house to pick up some essentials, he dropped her off at the clinic before going back to the lab. The rest of his shift he spent toiling through paperwork and sifting through other unsolved cases. When the shift was over Nick was the first one out the door and heading home. Now, still sitting outside his home, he finally opened the door and stepped out. Glancing around, he perked up when he spotted Johanna's truck parked nearby. A spring entered his step as he hurried up the walk and let himself in. Tossing his keys on the table, he smiled as he spotted Johanna curled up on his couch. Zorro was stretched out on the cushions beside her, his head resting on her leg. A legal pad was perched on the arm of the couch, the first page filled with Johanna's flowing scrawl. Nick came up behind her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Hey, you," he said.

"Hey yourself," Johanna replied as Nick reached down to rub Zorro's ears. The dog sighed with contentment.

Nick began kneading her shoulders, feeling the tension knotting the muscles. "How have you been holding up?"

Johanna tilted her head forward, clearly enjoying the massage. "The boss told me to take some time off to get this taken care of, but I told him to keep me on call in case something comes up." She chuckled. "They all but threw me out, trying to get me to take the time off. So I came here, played with Zorro a bit, and finally decided to try and remember where all the important things are in my house."

"So that's what this is," Nick commented, tapping the legal pad.

"Mmhmm. And now that you're home, I was thinking we could go for a ride."

Nick smiled. "I could use a good ride," he said without thinking. Only when Johanna began to giggle did he realize the implication of his words. "You've got a dirty mind, honey."

"I'm sorry, Nick," Johanna apologized as Nick came around to the front of the couch, offering a hand to pull her up. "With all that's been going on lately, I couldn't help it."

A couple hours later Nick and Johanna were riding down one of the trails, enjoying the different sights and sounds of morning. "It's not often you get to see all this wildlife, is it?" Johanna asked, gesturing to a doe and fawn watching them warily from an adjoining trail. Along the trail they'd seen squirrels, birds of all varieties, fox, and a sleepy raccoon that Johanna spotted peering at them from his cozy home high in a tree.

"No, it's not," Nick agreed. He was spending more time watching Johanna than the wildlife around them. She had visibly relaxed since they started down the trail. It was easy for Nick to see how much time Johanna had spent astride Sienna; she barely touched the reins, instead guiding the mare with leg cues. Tux pranced beneath Nick, clearly wanting to run. The Texan eyed the path ahead. It was straight and clear for a football field's length, sloping upward slightly. "Hey Johanna."

"Hmmm?"

Nick grinned. "I bet that Tux can beat Sienna to that maple tree."

"What are we betting?"

"Loser buys breakfast."

Johanna looked where Nick was pointing. "That big one?"

"Yep." He waited long enough to see Johanna nod before urging Tux into a gallop. The gelding's long strides ate the ground, and Nick had the lead. Suddenly Sienna bolted past, almost as a black and white blur. Johanna was pressed flat against the mare's neck, her auburn hair whipping with the wind. Nick urged Tux on, and the gelding caught up with the mare just as they pasted the maple tree.

Johanna eased Sienna down to a walk. "Does the winner get to pick where we have breakfast?"

Nick nodded. "You know it." They turned the horses back towards the stables. Neither mount was breathing heavily, but it was a general rule between the riders to walk the horses home. "Where do you want to go this morning?"

"Let me think about it," Johanna replied. They tossed ideas back and forth on the ride back and as they untacked and groomed the horses. "I think I figured out where we should go," Johanna announced as she fed an apple from the stash she kept on hand to Sienna.

Catching the apple she tossed to him, Nick fed it to Tux. "What are you thinking?"

Johanna came close and wrapped her arm around Nick's waist. "How about we pick something up and have breakfast in bed?"

**_TBC..._**

Oo la la! I think that's a good place to end the chapter, lol. Hope you enjoyed it!


	22. Forget breakfast

A/N: Of course, I don't own CSI. This is a nice, fluffy little chapter...after all that's happened, they need something nice!

_Previously: Johanna came close and wrapped her arm around Nick's waist. "How about we pick something up and have breakfast in bed?"_

Nick was multitasking, trying to unlock the door while kissing Johanna. Pinning Johanna to the door, he fumbled with his keys. "I can't…find the right one," he rasped. Johanna giggled, pressing kisses along Nick's jaw as he searched for the correct key. Jamming it in the lock, he reclaimed Johanna's lips just as the door clicked open. They stumbled into the entry, and Nick shoved the door shut, managing to relock it without breaking the kisses. Johanna moved them backwards enough to drop the bag of food on the counter.

They kissed hungrily, their hands fumbling with their clothing as they moved slowly towards the bedroom. Their lips parted long enough for Johanna to pull Nick's sweatshirt over his head and toss it to the floor before starting on his pants. The denim quickly joined the sweatshirt, along with Johanna's t-shirt and jeans. Wasting no more time, Nick scooped Johanna off her feet and carried her into the bedroom

*************************************************************************************************************

A faint ringing sounded from the living room, drawing Nick from his slumber early in the evening. Realizing it was his cell phone, he eased from the bed as to not awaken Johanna and hurried to find his phone. Following the trail of clothes, he finally located the phone in the pocket of his jeans. Without glancing at the display he answered it. "Stokes."

"Nick, it's Grissom. Listen, I know Johanna's worried about her dog. Since it's your night off…" Nick had forgotten about that, "I wanted to pass along the new information. The dog…what's his name?"

"Amigo." Realizing he was standing naked in his living room, Nick grabbed a blanket from the couch and wrapped it around him.

"Since there was blood on the floor, Brass figured that the perpetrator had been bitten. David pulled a chunk of flesh from Amigo's teeth and took a mold of the teeth. Apparently the dog has an under-bite. Wendy's got the sample, but DNA is horribly backlogged. It may take a while for results."

Nick chuckled. "Johanna's going to ask when she can come pick him up."

"That depends on when Hodges gets through with him." Nick could hear the grin in Grissom's voice. "I want him to get all the trace off the dog as he can get. Oh, and it seems that the perpetrator kicked Amigo after the dog bit him; he's favoring his right front leg. I called one of Johanna's colleagues to come in and check him out."

"Okay, thanks Gris." Nick ended the call and set the phone on the counter next to a bag he didn't recognize. Peering into it, he chuckled. "We forgot about breakfast," he said aloud.

"I think we had other things on our mind." Johanna's voice drifted across the room. Nick turned to see her leaning against the doorframe of his bedroom, the bed sheet wrapped around her body. "What did Grissom have to say?" When he raised an eyebrow, she shrugged. "You woke me when you got up."

Nick grinned sheepishly. "So much for my sneaking skills." Johanna smiled impishly. "Grissom called about Amigo."

"When can I pick him up?" she asked, crossing the room to stand beside him.

"I knew you'd ask that." He pulled her into his arms, cocooning them both in the blanket. "There's some good news and some bad news. The person who broke into your house may have kicked Amigo; Grissom says he's favoring his right front leg."

Johanna's eyes flashed a dark hunter green again. "That had better be the bad news."

Nick nodded. "The lab has gotten some good evidence from him. Grissom wants to keep him until he's sure all the evidence on Amigo is collected." He pressed a kiss to Johanna's forehead. "He's in good hands, Johanna." The woman in his arms sighed and rested her head against his chest. Nick glanced around the room. "I think we made a mess," he commented wryly.

"It's just clothes," Johanna mockingly protested. She started peppering his lips with kisses, pausing long enough to speak a few words. "Clothes…that were…in the way…like this sheet…" The sheet slid from Johanna's body, pooling at their feet.

Nick pulled her close, enjoying the feel of her smooth skin against his as he deepened the kisses. Her lips were soft against his, her flesh warm and inviting. "Know what?" he whispered as the kiss ended.

"What?" Johanna murmured, her sea green eyes gazing into his.

"It's my day off. Let's make good use of it." With that, he picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom again.

**_TBC..._**

Hopefully this makes up for when my readers wanted a non-platonic event a while back!


	23. Dinner at Johanna's

A/N: Nope, still don't own CSI.

_Previously: "It's my day off. Let's make good use of it." With that, he picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom again._

Things were relatively back to normal within a few days. Amigo was released to Johanna, and she was allowed to go back to her home. She had also gone back to work, telling Nick that keeping herself busy would keep her mind off the break-in.

DNA was still backlogged, which frustrated Nick to no end; not only was the case-breaking evidence in Johanna's case waiting to be processed, but a lot of evidence in other cases were piled up, waiting to get processed. The worst of all was that the crime spree in Vegas had abated for the time being, so he was stuck working on cases from Grissom's fish board.

One evening a week after the break-in, Nick and Johanna were cooking dinner at her house before their shifts started. More precisely, Johanna was trying to cook, and Nick couldn't keep his hands off her.

"Nick!" Johanna protested as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're going to be wearing this spaghetti sauce soon."

"Will you lick it off?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. As Johanna burst out laughing, he grabbed the spoon from her hand and dropped it in the saucepan before pulling her into his arms. Ignoring her protests about finishing dinner, he pressed his lips to hers, effectively and enjoyably silencing her.

Johanna's house phone rang. The two ignored it until the male caller spoke on the answering machine. "_Hello, Johanna Andrews. Do you miss me? I miss you. You know, I like that gray robe you wear before you go to bed after work. You weren't wearing much under it this morning, were you?" _

The machine clicked off, and Nick straightened, all thoughts of romance fleeing from his head. "What the hell?" he said aloud, releasing Johanna and crossing over to where the machine sat on the counter. "Do you know who that was?" He took the tape out of the machine and slipped it into a sandwich baggie, the closest thing to an evidence bag he had on hand.

Johanna had gone back to stirring the spaghetti sauce. "I don't," she said, not looking towards Nick. He noticed and went back to her side.

"Johanna…this isn't the first call, is it?" When she didn't answer his temper flared slightly. "Johanna, answer me!"

She finally looked at him, her eyes flashing an icy emerald. "It's not the first call," she said softly as she turned the burners off and moved the pots off the heat. "He's been calling for the past few days, always leaving messages like that." Amigo whined from his spot on the floor, hearing the scared tone in his mistress's voice. "He calls the office, too…has the receptionist patch the call through to me then hangs up when I answer."

Nick sighed, frustrated. _First a break-in, now stalking? _He was all too familiar with stalkers; the memory of Nigel Crane trying to assimilate into his life. "Johanna, do you have any more of the tapes?"

She nodded. "I figured you'd want them. They're in the drawer by the machine." Silently Nick collected them while Johanna put the food on the table. "Do you think it's the same guy who broke in last week?"

Nick shrugged as he pulled his phone from his pocket. "I don't know, honey. It could be; I'll give the tapes to Grissom when I get to the lab." He tapped a text message to his boss, informing him of the new events. "I do know one thing, though. You're not staying here anymore."

"Nick…" Johanna started to protest, but Nick held up a hand.

"Honey, I've been stalked before, and I don't want to see what happened to me happen to you." Sticking his phone back in his pocket, he caught Johanna's hand as she passed him and pulled her into his arms. "We'll get you moved into my place, just until they get everything figured out with the case."

Johanna pulled away slightly, her hunter eyes flashing annoyance. "Nick, I don't think all that's necessary."

Nick held her gaze, his brown eyes serious. "It may not be necessary to you, but I think it's something you should do, for your own safety." _And for my sanity. _His eyes must have conveyed his thoughts, because Johanna slowly nodded.

"All right," she relented. "If you think it's necessary, then that's what we'll do." A small grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Looks like your guest bed will be covered with Amigo's hair after all."

"Who said anything about you moving into the guest room?" Nick countered, a grin creasing his face as well. Pressing a quick kiss to Johanna's lips, he turned her towards the table. "Let's eat."

**_TBC..._**

So I'm thinking this story will have another five chapters or so, and I'm open to suggestions.


	24. Moving day

A/N: I'm really hoping to hit 100 reviews with this story, and I think I'll get that goal *fingers crossed* As usual, I don't own CSI.

_Previously: Pressing a quick kiss to Johanna's lips, he turned her towards the table. "Let's eat."_

As promised, Nick gave the answering machine tapes to Grissom as soon as he got to the lab. "Nick, can I have a word?" he asked upon leaving the tapes with Archie in the video/audio lab. He led the way into his office, gesturing for Nick to shut the door and have a seat. "Now, just so I'm sure about this, please explain how you came in possession of those tapes."

Nick leaned back in the chair. "Johanna and I were cooking dinner at her place when the phone rang. We let it go to the machine, and the caller left a message…"

"What kind of a message?"

"One that indicated that he's been keeping very close tabs on her. The guy knows what color robe she wears when she gets home from work. So I asked her if it was the first call she'd gotten."

Grissom thoughtfully stroked his beard. "Was it?"

Nick shook his head. "No. She'd saved the tapes with the other messages. I didn't listen to them or ask what was said on them; I just collected them and brought them to you. She's been getting calls at work as well."

"Same caller?"

"She doesn't know for sure. The caller has the receptionist patch him through, then hangs up when Johanna answers." Nick waited to hear what Grissom had to say.

"Well, Archie has the tapes, so I'll see what he can get from them. I'll go see how Wendy's doing with all the DNA evidence she's got. I may have Greg help her out, since there's not much going on crime-wise."

Nick perked up slightly. "No new assignments?"

Grissom shook his head. "Not yet. But the night is still young, my friend. And that means…"

Nick groaned good-naturedly. "The fish board."

"The fish board." The two men stood and left the office. "When are you moving her into your place?" Grissom asked.

"How did you...Never mind. After the shift," Nick responded, curious as to why Grissom was asking.

"I see." Spotting Warrick walking down the hallway in front of them, Grissom called out, "Warrick!"

Warrick turned. "Hey Gris, Nick."

"Can you help Nick move Johanna into his place after the shift?" Grissom asked. "I'll fill you and Sara in on the case later."

Warrick glanced at Nick, then looked back at Grissom. "Sure, I can help," he replied somewhat hesitantly.

"Great." With that Grissom hurried to the DNA lab, leaving Nick and Warrick in his wake. The two CSIs shared a glance, then shrugged.

"Meet you in the break room after the shift?" Warrick asked.

Nick nodded. "Sounds good."

************************************************************************

Between the three of them, it was quick work to get Johanna's necessary belongings moved to Nick's home. The furniture and other large items were left in her house, and with three large vehicles it only took a couple trips to move everything. Amigo immediately made himself at home, trotting through every room, sniffing every corner. Nick watched the dog disappear into his bedroom. "I don't think my place will be the same again."

Warrick chuckled as Amigo raced back into the room, Zorro hot in pursuit. "Naw, man, I don't think it will."

The dogs raced through the rooms, weaving around furniture. Amigo scooted between Johanna's legs, almost tripping her as she carried boxes across the room. "Boys," she said warningly.

"What?" Nick and Warrick asked in unison, both knowing full well that Johanna was talking to the dogs. She shot them an amused look before continuing on her task. Nick turned back to Warrick. "Thanks for the help, 'Rick."

Warrick shrugged. "No problem, Nick, you know that." Fishing his keys from his pocket, he continued, "Wendy and Greg were close to being caught up in the lab this morning, so we may get results soon. We'll get the guy, Nick. We'll get him." With that the tall man left, heading for his own bed to get some sleep.

************************************************************************

Warrick was correct; midway through that night's shift Grissom appeared at the door of the layout room holding a folder. "Nick."

Nick glanced up from the evidence he had spread across the table. "Yeah?"

"I've got DNA results from the break-in," Grissom said quietly as he came in to stand by the table. "Nick, I'm telling you this because I trust your judgment. The DNA came back to a Max Greene; Sara's linked him to all the recent break-ins. Brass got a warrant to search his last known address."

"Did he send uniforms over?"

Grissom nodded. "They should be there right now." On cue, his phone rang. "Grissom," he answered, setting the folder down. Nick waited as Grissom listened to the person—Brass—on the other end. After a couple long moments he spoke. "Okay, I'll tell him. Thanks, Jim." Grissom ended the call, a frown creasing his forehead. "They're putting a BOLO out for Greene. There's enough evidence indicating that he's been stalking Dr. Andrews, including some items that were missing from her house."

Nick paled slightly, but his voice was steady. "Does she know? Has Brass or one of his uniforms found her yet?"

After thinking for a moment, Grissom shook his head. "I don't think so. Why don't you get ahold of her, and if she's not at work, have her come here to the lab? That way," and he grinned slightly here, "You can concentrate on this case, instead of Sara's."

**_TBC..._**

The wheels are in motion, folks. It's going to get pretty interesting!


	25. Where is Johanna?

A/N: I posted the final chapter of my MASH fanfic today. It's a bittersweet feeling. So I decided to post another chapter of Amigo, lol. I don't own CSI.

_Previously: After thinking for a moment, Grissom shook his head. "I don't think so. Why don't you get ahold of her, and if she's not at work, have her come here to the lab? That way," and he grinned slightly here, "You can concentrate on this case, instead of Sara's."_

Nick pulled his phone from his pocket as Grissom left. Quickly he typed out a text message to Johanna, asking her to give him a call when she could. Once he hit 'send' he began rereading the report he had been scanning before Grissom had interrupted him.

A warning niggled at the back of his mind twenty minutes later. Setting down the photo he was cross-referencing to the report, Nick picked up his cell phone. _That's strange,_ he thought when he realized that he had no new messages. Johanna always got back to him within minutes, even if it was a quick 'l8r :-*' text. Usually a quick text like that meant she had an emergency on her hands. Nick frowned and called her cell phone. When her voicemail picked up, he shook his head slightly. "Johanna, it's Nick. Give me a call as soon as you get this, okay? Love you." Still, something in his gut wouldn't settle, so he punched in the number for the clinic Johanna worked at. "Hi, this is Nick Stokes with the Las Vegas Crime Lab," he said when his call was answered. "May I speak to Dr. Johanna Andrews, please?"

"I'm sorry, sir, Dr. Andrews isn't in tonight," the receptionist said.

Nick's gut tightened. "I was informed that she was on duty tonight."

"She called in sick."

Nick thanked her and ended the call, thoughts storming in his head. When he had left for his shift earlier that evening, Johanna was getting ready for her shift. She hadn't mentioned anything about feeling ill. _It could have hit suddenly,_ he rationalized. _But, if she was sick, she would have answered her phone. Unless she's sleeping. Of course, maybe she's playing hooky and is out riding Sienna._ Grabbing his phone, he dialed the number for the stables; a minute later he hung up, despondent. None of the staff had seen Johanna that day. Nick punched in more numbers, this time calling his house. After five rings the answering machine picked up, and Nick left the same message he'd left on her voicemail. On an offhand chance, he dialed her house phone, but hung up when her answering machine clicked on. "Johanna, where are you?" he asked softly.

"Can't get ahold of her?"

Nick jumped slightly as Grissom came back into the room. "I didn't hear you come in, Grissom."

The older man picked up a folder from the table. "I left some entomology notes in here." Tapping the folder against his hand, Grissom thought for a moment. "Where all have you called?"

"First I called her cell, then I called the clinic. The receptionist told me she'd called in sick," Nick replied.

"Maybe she's sleeping and didn't hear her phone ring," Grissom suggested.

"I thought of that," Nick said. "But when I left for work, she was getting ready for her shift. So I thought, maybe she decided to play hooky and go to the stables. So I called there, and they hadn't seen her all day. Then I called my house, and hers. The machine picked up at both places."

Grissom frowned. "From what I've picked up, Dr. Andrews isn't the kind to shirk her duties. Didn't you tell me that it took a lot of convincing from her employer to get her to take time off after the break-in? And that she stayed on call?"

"Yeah," Nick replied, trying to see where Grissom's train of thought was heading.

"That doesn't sound like someone who all of the sudden would play hooky." After tucking the folder under his arm so he wouldn't forget it again, Grissom pulled out his phone and called Brass. "Jim, it's Gil. Listen, can you send some units over to CSI Stokes' place?" He listened for a moment, then rattled off the addresses of the other places Nick had called. "Have them check those addresses as well, please. Yes, we're having trouble locating Dr. Andrews. Can you do it?" After another moment Grissom smiled. "Thank you."

"He's sending units out?" Nick inquired, collecting the various photos and evidence and putting them back into the casebox.

Grissom nodded. "I don't like the sound of what's going on," he admitted. "It's definitely not like Dr. Andrews to disappear like this."

He was still musing as he and Nick walked down the hall to evidence lockup so Nick could put the casebox in its rightful place. Nick had just signed the admittance log when the guard's radio crackled to life. _"Shots fired! Shots fired! All units requested to respond to 1742 Raven Street. Repeat, all units respond to 1742 Raven Street."_

All color drained from Nick's face. "That's my address."

**_TBC..._**

What's going to happen?


	26. Gone to the dogs

A/N: Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far...I really appreciate the encouragement! There's somewhat stronger language in this chapter, so just a head's up. As always, I don't own CSI, nor do I own the movie 'Turner and Hooch'.

_Previously: All color drained from Nick's face. "That's my address."_

Forgetting the casebox, Nick raced down the hall to the stairwell, taking the stairs to the parking garage. Dimly he heard Grissom behind him, yelling for the rest of the team as he clattered down the stairs. Reaching the Tahoe, Nick quickly started it and pulled out of the garage, passing the team as he drove out.

The drive to his home wasn't long, but to Nick it seemed like forever before he squealed to a stop. Patrol cars surrounded the building; officers were scattered all over, all with their guns drawn. Brass hurried over as Nick got out of the Tahoe. "What's happened?" Nick demanded.

"Nick, you're not on the case…" Brass began, but Nick cut him off.

"I'm not asking about the case, damn it! Is Johanna in there?" Nick wanted to grasp Brass by his suit coat and shake the information out of him, but he knew that wouldn't get him anywhere…except maybe into the back of a patrol car. Looking around, he spotted a dusty green truck. "She's here," he said lowly, fear washing over him. "That's her truck." It was in the same space as it had been when he left earlier that evening.

Brass turned towards where he was looking. "Yes it is. I was on the phone with one of the deputies when the shots were fired. I got here as soon as I could." The rest of the CSI team had shown up on-scene, and Brass quickly filled them in as they headed towards the building. "We're waiting on a negotiator, but my men haven't seen much movement in there. When the officers knocked, they said there was barking from inside, and that's when the shots were fired."

"Do they have a sharpshooter called in?" Warrick questioned.

"He's setting up now," Brass confirmed.

The next few moments were tense as the team waited for a word, any word. Finally Brass's radio crackled to life. _"Sharpshooter in place."_

"10-4. Take a look around," Brass instructed.

After a moment the voice came on the radio again. _"It looks like we're going to need a bus, sir, possibly two. Two people on the floor…one's been shot. Looks like our hostage, sir." _Nick cursed as Brass called for an ambulance.

"Can you see the perp?" Brass questioned.

_"Affirmative. Well, at least his legs. He's not moving, but it's unknown if he is still in possession of the gun."_

Nick waited with bated breath as Brass weighed the options available. Finally he spoke into his radio. "Unit one, get into position." When the unit leader relayed that they were in position, Brass gave the command to infiltrate. Nick heard the sound of his door being kicked open, a snarling bark, then a shout.

"Someone get Animal Control! I don't want to shoot this dog!"

Brass turned to Nick. "You want to take care of this?"

With a glance at Grissom who nodded, Nick cautiously entered his home, Brass right behind him. Immediately he took in the sight: Officers had their guns trained on Max Greene, who was prostrate on the living room floor. Zorro had his jaws clamped firmly around Greene's neck; the terror in the man's eyes was unmistakable. Three feet away, Amigo was standing over the handgun. He growled at anyone who came too close. Behind him, partially in the kitchen, lay Johanna's motionless form in a slowly growing pool of blood. Averting his eyes, Nick carefully approached the rumbling dog. "Amigo," he said, his voice low. Seeing his ears perk up, he continued. "Amigo, buddy. You're a good boy, aren't you, guarding that gun. Can I pick it up, buddy?" As he was talking, Nick was slowly moving forward, easing his hand out to pick up the gun. Amigo whined softly as Nick picked up the gun and held it out for a nearby officer to take. "Stay here, buddy," he said as he moved to Johanna's side. Pulling a dishtowel off the counter, he pressed it to the bleeding wound on her chest. "Johanna?" he whispered. "Honey, can you hear me?"

"Good job, Nick," Brass said. "Can you do something about the other one?"

"I'll try, Brass." Nick looked towards his dog. The usually docile Zorro was hunkered low, his large jaws around the man's neck. It reminded Nick so much of a few scenes in _Turner & Hooch _that he would have laughed if the situation wasn't so tense. "Zorro…let him go. Release. Drop it. Umm…leave it." Nick racked his brain for a command to make the dog release the perpetrator. Zorro didn't move. Nick sighed, frustrated. The paramedics couldn't come in and attend to Johanna until Greene was in custody. "C'mon, Zorro, give it up already!" Instantly the dog released the man's neck and the officers swooped in, flipping him over and slapping the cuffs on him. Nick heard Brass radio for the paramedics to be sent in, and they soon bustled in. Nick obediently backed away and let the professionals do their job. Johanna's skin was grayish-white from blood loss, and the paramedics quickly got her onto a stretcher and whisked her out of the building to the waiting ambulance.

"Nick." Grissom set a hand on his shoulders. "I'll understand if you want to go to the hospital with her."

Nick didn't look up; instead he studied the pattern of Johanna's blood on his hands. "I want to go," he said finally, "but first I want to hear that bastard's reason for going after someone like my Johanna." He hadn't meant to say 'my Johanna', it had just slipped out. Grissom nodded, gently propelling Nick towards the door. The sky was lightening as the dawn approached, but Nick barely noticed. He could still hear the mournful wail of the ambulance's siren as it headed to the hospital.

Catherine approached the two men. "Nick," she said, almost hesitantly, "I'll go to the hospital, so you can get cleaned up and take those two to the lab." She pointed to Zorro and Amigo, who had followed Nick outside and were now sitting forlornly at his feet.

Nick nodded. "Thanks, Cath." He watched Sara and Warrick collect their crime kits and head into his home before he mechanically loaded the dogs into the Tahoe.

Grissom stopped him from opening the driver's side door. "Let me drive, Nicky," he said simply. Nick didn't say anything; he just walked to the other side of the vehicle and climbed in. The drive to the crime lab was short, and by the time Nick had dropped the dogs off with an unhappy Hodges in Trace and scrubbed his hands clean, Brass had Max Greene in Interrogation. Having waived his rights to an attorney, the man was ready to talk.

**_TBC..._**

Please don't tar and feather me!


	27. The confession

A/N: More language in this chapter. Still don't own CSI. Enjoy!

_Previously: The drive to the crime lab was short, and by the time Nick had dropped the dogs off with an unhappy Hodges in Trace_ _and scrubbed his hands clean, Brass had Max Greene in Interrogation. Having waived his rights to an attorney, the man was ready to talk._

"Nick, you'd better stay out here," Grissom said when he saw Nick standing at the one-way mirror outside the interrogation room.

Nick nodded. "I'm not going in there." He had gotten physical with other suspects in the past, in cases that he wasn't personally connected to. In this situation, Nick wouldn't trust himself in the same room with Max Greene, whether or not Brass was present. Grissom nodded and entered the room; Nick watched through the mirror as he and Brass settled into chairs opposite Max Greene.

The three men were silent for a few moments; Grissom flipped through the file he was holding. He pulled out several photos and laid them on the table in front of Greene. Finally Brass spoke. "You have quite the rap sheet. Breaking and entering, burglary, petty theft…there seems to be a pattern here, Max. You're just a kid…barely legal."

Greene leaned back and grinned, looking no worse the wear from his ordeal with Zorro. Nick noted a large bandage on his left arm, most likely from where Amigo had bitten him. "It's a thrill ride, dude." Running a hand over his buzzed brown hair, Greene leaned forward and touched every photo, commenting about each in turn. "This one was easy. Idiots left their house unlocked, but I didn't get much from there. This next one…had to break a window to get in. Got a pretty good haul from there, though. A lot of small electronics that I could hawk for a good price." After four more photos he finally got to a picture of Johanna's. "This place…it was just a random hit. I got more trouble from that place, 'cause of that damn dog." Semi-consciously he rubbed the bandage on his arm as Grissom slid another photo on the table, this one a close-up of the chunk of skin caught in Amigo's teeth.

" 'That damn dog' helped break the case," Grissom said in his quiet manner.

"Damn dog bit my arm, and I wanted to get back at that bitch for it. None of the other places had dogs. So I started coming back every day, just watching. I had taken some of her mail, so I could look up her phone number. And she had some business cards, so I had the number for her work, too. I figured, what the hell. And damn, she was a hot piece of tail. I've heard about how good you CSI guys are, and I figured that since you had my DNA because of that damn dog, you'd be coming for me. And that pissed me off, man! I wanted that bitch and her dog to pay. I started calling her, letting her know that I was watching her. I liked watching her. Then that boyfriend of hers convinced her to move in with him. I figured it out when they were loading her crap and hauling it away. I followed them so I knew where they were going. Just the fact that she was moving pissed me off, you know? So I got my gun and waited 'til the boyfriend went to work, and I broke in. I made her shut the dogs—and I wasn't expecting two of them, either—in the bedroom and call in sick to work."

Nick mentally reviewed what he knew, and paled when he realized that Greene had held Johanna hostage for over four hours. _What did he do to her?_ His mental question was asked by Grissom. "Did you rape her?"

Greene shrugged. "I thought about it, but that's not my thing, dude. Hey, I got my standards, and I ain't no rapist." Nick breathed a sigh or relief as the man continued. "I asked her questions. All sorts of questions." Suddenly Greene's face contorted. "I didn't mean to shoot her," he said. "I really wasn't going to hurt her. I don't know what I was thinking. But I swear, I didn't mean to shoot her. Somehow those dogs got out, and when they came into the room I freaked out a bit. Then someone knocked on the door and the dogs started barking. I panicked, and the gun just went off a couple times. One of the shots must have hit her. I wasn't aiming it or anything. That's when the damn dogs got me. One knocked the gun out of my hand, and the other got me around the throat. Damn, thought he was Hooch, you know…from that movie, with Tom Hanks?" He shook his head, chuckling slightly. "But I swear, I didn't mean to shoot her."

Nick turned away, unwilling to watch any more. He knew Greene was going to be facing many charges and probably many years of prison time. But that didn't help Johanna right now. Just then his phone buzzed. Pulling it from his pocket, he saw it was Catherine. "How is she?" he asked.

"It's not good, Nicky."

_**TBC...**_

We'll be meeting some of Johanna's family in the upcoming chapters.


	28. Calling Montana

A/N: Nope, I haven't managed to get hold of the ownership of CSI. Nor do I own March of the Penguins, Jaws, or tThe Cisco Kid. Here's where we learn the extent of the damage...

_Previously: "It's not good, Nicky."_

"I'll be there soon, Cath. Thanks," Nick managed to say, his heart thudding painfully in his chest. Deciding not to wait for Grissom to get out of the interrogation, he headed to the reception desk. "Judy, tell Grissom I went to the hospital," he said as he rushed to the stairs. Quickly he was in the Tahoe and on his way to the hospital.

Coming through the sliding doors at the hospital, Nick hurried towards the emergency room. "Where is Johanna Andrews?" he asked the nurse at the desk, before hearing Catherine calling his name. Turning, he met her as she rushed towards him. "Cath, where is she?"

"She's getting prepped for surgery, Nicky. They haven't told me much, but I can tell that it's not good." Catherine led Nick to the OR waiting room, where she had been waiting. "I told the doctor that you'd be coming, and he said he'd check back when he could."

Unable to sit, Nick paced the waiting room. He hated the feeling of uselessness; knowing that Johanna was hurt and he couldn't do anything to help her. Watching the door, he tensed slightly every time a doctor or a nurse walked past. Finally, after twenty minutes of waiting, a doctor pulled open the door and entered the waiting room. "Doctor, how is she?" Nick asked, bracing himself for the worst.

"You must be Nick Stokes. I'm Doctor Benson. We've managed to stabilize Ms. Andrews; one bullet pierced her lung…"

"So she was hit twice?" Nick interrupted, recalling that Greene had fired twice.

Dr. Benson nodded. "One grazed her neck and left shoulder. It just missed the external carotid artery, and didn't get low enough to graze the subclavian artery. But that's not the one I'm worried about. The other bullet was a through and through. It entered the right upper quadrant of her chest, went through the upper lobe of her right lung, and exited through her back. When she came in, the lung was almost full of blood. Once she receives another unit of blood, I'll go in and survey the damage. I also will have an orthopedic surgeon standing by, because I believe there may be damage to her shoulder blade."

"Can you…can you fix her?" Nick asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Before the doctor could answer, the pager on his belt went off. Glancing at the display, he nodded. "I'm not foreseeing any complications, Mr. Stokes, but at the same time I can't guarantee anything. Excuse me, please." He quickly strode out the door, leaving Nick in a semi-daze.

Catherine grabbed his arm. "Nick, sit down," she said, worry edging her voice. "You look like you're about to drop."

"I'm fine," Nick protested even as he sank into one of the chairs. "I just…I…" His voice cracked slightly, and he trailed off, unwilling to let Catherine see him. Tears pricked at his eyes; hastily he wiped them away. Taking a moment, he cleared his throat and said, "I should call her family, and let them know what's going on."

"I'm going to go find a vending machine," Catherine said, heading for the door.

Nick watched her go; he knew the real reason she had gone was to give him privacy to make the call to Johanna's family. Scrolling through the contacts saved in his phone, Nick remembered when he'd gotten the number for Johanna's parents a month previous…

"_I want to give you my folks' number," Nick said to Johanna one rainy afternoon as he lounged on her couch. It was a rare day off for the both of them, and they had decided on a movie marathon; so far they had watched one of Nick's new favorites, "March of the Penguins", and currently were in the middle of Johanna's favorite, "Jaws". Nick had also brought along his collection of "The Cisco Kid", a gift from his father._

"_Why?" Johanna asked from the kitchen as she refilled the bowl with popcorn. "Need another drink?"_

_Nick glanced as his beer, which was half full. "I'm good, thanks." Johanna stepped over Amigo, who was sprawled with Zorro on the kitchen's cool tile floor. "I want you to have it, in case something happens to me."_

"_Oh, Nick, that's a dreary thought." Johanna set the bowl on the table and curled up on the couch beside Nick, who wrapped his arm around her._

"_Well, just in case, I want you to have their number. I know they'd appreciate it." Johanna reached for her phone and programmed the numbers Nick rattled off. He pressed a kiss to her temple. "Thank you, honey."_

_As she set her phone back on the table, she picked his up and handed it to him. "Turnabout's fair play, Nick. You should have my parents' number, too."_

Finding the entry he'd saved simply as 'Montana', Nick pressed the call button. As he listened to the rings, he realized he didn't know Johanna's parents' names. Just then he heard a click and a deep voice drawled, "Lazy-Z Ranch."

"Hello, I'm, um, calling for Mr. Andrews," Nick said, his mouth suddenly dry.

The voice chuckled. "Sir, there's four Andrews men living here. You callin' for Cal, Cole, Gage, or Ian?"

Nick mentally reviewed the names. _Cole, Gage, and Ian are Johanna's brothers, so Cal must be her father. _"Cal, please."

"May I ask who's callin'?"

"This is Nick Stokes; I'm calling from Las Vegas."

The voice laughed. "Ah, you're Johanna's boyfriend! Nice to hear from you. I'm Ian, her brother. Hang on, I'll get Pops."

Nick heard the phone being set down and muted conversation. Finally an older voice came on the phone. "This is Cal Andrews, Mr. Stokes. Can I call you Nick? Johanna's told me a lot about you, and I feel like I know you. How can I help you?"

"Mr. Andrews…" Nick tried to get a word in edgewise.

"Please, call me Cal."

"Cal, there's no easy way for me to tell you this." Nick stumbled on his words for a second. "Johanna's been shot."

After a heartbeat's silence, Cal spoke. "Shot? But how…what happened?"

Nick ran his free hand over his face. "She was shot by someone who was stalking her. We've got the guy in custody, and he's confessed, but I can't say much else, because the case is still open."

"Is she going to be okay?"

"She just went into surgery. The surgeon told me that her right lung was hit, but the prognosis looks good." Nick could hear her father conveying the information in the background. "Sir…Cal, I'm sorry I couldn't keep her safe…"

Cal interrupted him. "Son, it's not your fault. Look, one of my boys is getting a flight to Las Vegas as we speak. Give me the name and address of the hospital, so he knows where to go."

Nick rattled off the necessary information. "Cal…"

Once again the elder Andrews interrupted him. "Stay with her, Nick." His voice broke as he added, "Don't leave my little girl alone right now."

Nick swallowed hard. "I promise."

**_TBC..._**

I couldn't find anything about Nick's favorite movie, and I don't know if it's ever been stated. So, based on how he likes to watch Animal Planet and the 'flight of the pifflings' speech in the episode Fight Night, I figured March of the Penguins would be a safe bet. And of course he'd bring his collection of The Cisco Kid! So which brother are we going to meet? And what do you think his reaction is going to be?


	29. Confrontation

A/N: And we meet one of Johanna's brothers here! I still don't own CSI.

_Previously: Nick swallowed hard. "I promise."_

Not long after Nick called Johanna's family, Catherine reappeared with two bottles of water, one of which she handed to him. "How'd they take it?"

"One of Johanna's brothers is on his way here," Nick said. "Her dad—Cal—kept telling me it wasn't my fault."

Catherine reached for his hand and squeezed it. "You know it wasn't, Nick. There's no way you could have known what was going to happen."

"I know that," Nick admitted, meeting Catherine's gaze. She could see the fear in his eyes. "So why do I keep feeling like it is?"

************************************************************************

The time dragged on; throughout it all, Nick kept his promise to Cal and didn't leave the hospital. As every hour passed Nick's worry increased. Why was it taking so long?

Grissom appeared a little after one in the afternoon, telling Warrick to go home and get some rest. Warrick had been with Nick since Catherine left earlier in the morning. "Here, Nick," Grissom said, handing him a crumpled paper bag. "You need to eat something."

Nick shook his head. "Thanks, Gris, but I'm not hungry."

"Nick, listen to me. If you're going to stay strong for Dr. Andrews, then you need to stay strong for yourself. And part of that is eating," Grissom countered.

Without arguing more, Nick unwrapped the deli sandwich Grissom had brought him and nibbled on it, more to appease his boss rather than to sustain himself. After a few bites, though, he rewrapped it and stashed it back in the bag. At Grissom's pointed look Nick defended himself, "I'll eat it, Gris. I just can't right now."

Ten minutes later the door to the waiting room opened and a young man strode in. "Nick Stokes?" he asked, looking at Nick as he got up from his seat.

"Yeah," Nick replied, not quite recognizing him.

Something flashed in the young man's eyes and he threw out a hard right hook, his fist connecting solidly with Nick's jaw. "You should have protected her!" he shouted, drawing back to deliver another blow. "Where were you when she was shot, huh? Were you out at the bar? At one of the casinos?"

Grissom caught the man's arm and pulled him off balance. "That's enough!" he ordered. "Nick, you okay?"

Nick, who had been knocked back against the wall, nodded as he got back on his feet. "Yeah, I'm okay," he replied, rubbing his jaw. "Which one are you?" he asked the young man, still in Grissom's grasp.

"Gage," he replied, the fight slowly leaving his body.

Nick looked at his boss. "Gris, let him go," he said wearily. "He's one of Johanna's brothers."

After a moment's hesitation, Grissom released Gage's arm. "You'd better not take another swing at my CSI," he warned. Gage nodded without saying a word, sinking into the nearest seat as he gingerly flexed his right hand. Nick followed suit, still rubbing his aching jaw. Grissom looked between the two of them. "Do either of you need an ice pack?"

"Yes," the two replied simultaneously.

Muttering about hospital brawls, Grissom went in search of a couple ice packs. Nick eyed Johanna's brother; he knew he was receiving the same scrutiny. Finally he spoke. "I was at work."

"Huh?"

"I was at work, when Johanna was shot," Nick repeated. Turning so he could better see Gage, he continued. "I was trying to get ahold of her, because new information had come in on her case. Officers were dispatched to my place, her place, her office…" Here he paused for a moment, the images still fresh in his memory. "I wish I could have protected her from this, but I didn't know, Gage. And I'm sorry."

Gage slowly nodded. "I know it's not your fault, Nick. I…well, I have a temper, and I tend to fly off the handle." He ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair. "Sorry I clocked you."

"I'll live." Nick rubbed his jaw again. "You packed some power in that punch."

Gage grinned slightly. "I wrestle steers in rodeos for fun. Can't be weak doing that."

Grissom reappeared with the ice packs, which both men took gratefully. The coolness felt good against Nick's throbbing jaw, and he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. Just then the waiting room door swung open again. Opening his eyes, he saw Dr. Benson stepping into the waiting room, an unreadable look on his face.

Nick's heart plummeted. "How is she?"

"The surgery was a success. We had to performed a thoracotomy, but it was a clean wound, and easy to fix. As I suspected, the bullet shattered her shoulder blade upon exiting her back. The orthopedic surgeon fixed it as best he could, but I'm foreseeing at least another surgery to properly set and fix it." Dr. Benson smiled slightly, the fatigue evident on his face. "Ms. Andrews is recovering in ICU. At the moment she's still under sedation, and she's on a respirator to assist her breathing."

"Can we see her?" Gage asked.

Dr. Benson nodded. "She can have visitors one at a time."

Nick nodded towards Gage. "Go ahead. You're her brother." Gage flashed him a small smile and followed the doctor out of the waiting room.

**_TBC..._**

Looks like Gage is a bit protective of Johanna! We'll learn more about their childhood relationship in the next chapter.


	30. Seeing Johanna

A/N: Of course, still don't own CSI. Oh yes, and this explains why Johanna didn't bring Sienna with to Las Vegas. Enjoy!

_Previously: Nick nodded towards Gage. "Go ahead. You're her brother." Gage flashed him a small smile and followed the doctor out of the waiting room._

Gage came back a half hour later. Nick watched as he went straight to the coffee machine. "Is she awake?"

"Yeah." Blowing on the coffee, Gage took a sip, grimaced, then took another sip. "She woke up about ten minutes ago. They left the breathing tube in, so she couldn't talk, but the nurse said they'd probably take it out soon. That's why they kicked me out of her room." Sitting near Nick, Gage sighed. "She's got a bunch of tubes in her chest. Dr. Benson said they're for draining blood, air, and fluid."

Nick watched the young man. "Did she recognize you?"

Gage grinned. "She did. I could see it in her eyes." The two sat in silence for a while before Gage spoke again. "It's hard for me to see her like that, ya know? When we were growing up, I always looked up to her. She kept up with us guys, whether it was roping, branding, or anything else we did. She always said she wasn't a tomboy, she was a cowgirl." He studied Nick. "Is it true, that you bought Sienna back for her?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Why?"

"She told me that Sienna was her best friend, about how your dad trained her and Sienna to be a team. When I figured out that Johanna had sold her to my sister's husband before she moved here, I wanted to surprise her." Nick leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. "You know, I never learned exactly why she sold her."

Gage slowly nodded. "When she took the job here, she didn't have enough money to bring Sienna with. Hell, she didn't have enough to bring herself here. Selling Sienna was the only way. Johanna didn't want to stay in Montana after what happened to Dad, knowing that she should have been the one shot. Did she tell you about what happened?" When Nick nodded, Gage continued. "She told me, right before she left, that she felt guilty about what happened to him; that she should be in the wheelchair, not him."

Nick got up to get himself a cup of coffee. "Johanna told me that once, that she felt like it was her fault." The two were quiet as he poured himself a cup.

"Did she ever tell you she used to ride out to where Dad was shot?" Gage asked as Nick sat back down with the coffee. "I don't think she knew that I knew. I followed her once; she just sat there, watching. It's like she was waiting for the guy to come back."

"She said that there were two perps," Nick recalled. "One was shot and killed by your dad, the other got away. Was he ever caught?"

"Oh yeah," Gage replied. "Dad has a great memory. He had gotten a good look at the guy, and the cops nailed him a couple months later, when they finally found him. He's serving time in the Montana State Prison, a couple hours away from home."

Just then a nurse poked her head into the room. "Mr. Stokes? Ms. Andrews is asking for you." Tossing his coffee cup in the trash, Nick followed her through the ICU doors. "She's in room 5," the nurse said.

Quickly walking to room 5, Nick paused for a moment. _"She's got a bunch of tubes in her chest." _Gage's words flew through his mind when he saw Johanna in the ICU bed. Tubes snaked out from underneath the blankets, draining fluids from the surgical area. An IV tube delivered more fluids and medication through a vein in her left arm. The oxygen monitor clipped to her finger and the sticky heart rate pads attached to her chest recorded her heartbeat and oxygen level on the beeping machine near the bed. Nick stepped into the room, edging around the foot of the bed to go sit on the chair near the head.

Johanna's eyes were closed; carefully, as to not dislodge the IV, Nick picked up her left hand and kissed it. Opening her eyes, she turned her head and met his gaze. A gentle smile creased her mouth. "Hi," she said softly, her voice hoarse from the breathing tube.

Nick smiled, still holding her hand. "Hi, honey."

She spotted the darkening bruise on his jaw, and her smile faded. "Gage let his temper get the best of him, didn't he?" she asked, her eyes flickering. When Nick nodded, she pressed, "How bad?"

"Just this," he admitted, gently stroking her hand. "He needed to get it out, so if that means taking a right hook, then so be it." Johanna shifted slightly, and Nick watched for any signs of pain. "Are you hurting?"

"Not yet," Johanna replied. "I'm still pretty doped up, I guess." Her eyes were still a bit glazed, Nick noticed. Suddenly those green eyes widened. "Where are the dogs? Are they okay?"

"They're fine," Nick assured her. "They're at the lab, hopefully tormenting Hodges. Can I do anything for you, honey?"

Johanna smiled again. "Go get some rest," she said simply. "Take Gage to my place, and make sure he gets some sleep. You both could use it, I'm sure."

Nick didn't bother trying to argue; he could see that Johanna's resolve to stay awake for him was fading. Leaning in, he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "I love you, Johanna," he said softly.

"I-I…love…" Suddenly Johanna was struggling to breathe. The oxygen monitor started blaring an alarm. "Nick," she gasped, her emerald eyes filling with pain and fear.

**_TBC..._**

I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, but it's still in the works.


	31. Panicking

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Still don't own CSI.

_Previously: "I-I…love…" Suddenly Johanna was struggling to breathe. The oxygen monitor started blaring an alarm. "Nick," she gasped, her emerald eyes filling with pain and fear._

Lunging for the call button, Nick jammed his thumb against it to summon help. "Johanna…honey, look at me," he urged, grabbing her hand again. "Stay with me, honey." The numbers on the monitor were rapidly fluctuating; he watched, panicking, as her oxygen level dropped and her heart rate rose

Johanna groaned. "Chest…hurts…" she managed to say as a nurse hurried into the room.

"Sir, you're going to have to leave," she ordered as she put a face mask on Johanna and hooked the oxygen to it before recording the stats on the chart.

Letting go of Nick's hand, Johanna caught the arm of the woman as she paged the doctor. "Want…him…to stay."

The nurse shook her head. "I'm sorry, he's not supposed to be here."

"Please." Johanna's eyes were pleading over the mask.

Relenting, the nurse warned Nick to stay out of the way; he was more than happy to comply if it meant staying with Johanna. Standing out of the way, he watched as the numbers on the monitor began to regulate; slowly the number for the oxygen level in Johanna's blood began to climb from the low 70s as her heart rate began to drop from where it had been hovering at 160.

Dr. Benson finally appeared in the room. "What seems to be the problem here?" he asked.

"Elevated heart rate, low blood oxygen, chest pain, shortness of breath," the nurse said, handing him Johanna's chart.

After a moment's study, Dr. Benson nodded. "Okay, Ms. Andrews, it looks like you may have developed a pulmonary embolism. I want to draw some blood gases to test, and let's get a CT scan, too." He patted her knee. "Hang in there, we'll get you down to radiology in a few minutes."

The nurse followed Dr. Benson out the door, leaving Nick and Johanna to digest the news. Johanna turned her head to watch Nick, who still stood back out of the way. "Nick…wait with me?" she asked. Her breathing had eased with the aid of the oxygen mask.

Nick nodded, coming to the side of the bed once again. "I'll go talk to Gage when they take you to get the scan." He picked up her hand again, absentmindedly rubbing her fourth finger. "I'm no doctor," he admitted. "I've heard of pulmonary embolisms, but I can't remember what they are."

"Blood clots," Johanna whispered, her eyes half closed. "Blood clots…in the lungs. If I have them they'll put me on blood thinners to dissolve them."

A nurse breezed in with a phlebotomy kit. "Hi, Johanna. I'm going to draw some blood gases from the radial artery in your wrist," she said as she set the kit down on the rolling table near the bed. "Have you ever had this done before?" Johanna shook her head as the nurse examined her right wrist. "It's similar to a normal blood draw, but I'm going to use a bigger needle, and it will hurt more; just a warning." After some quick preparations, she cleaned the draw spot with an alcohol pad before inserting the needle. Nick saw Johanna wince in pain and gently squeezed her hand. "I'm going to need a draw from your left wrist as well," the nurse said apologetically. "I'll try to make it as quick and painless as possible."

"I've never had a blood draw hurt like that," Johanna murmured, resting her head back on the pillow as Nick released her hand long enough for the nurse to draw the sample.

Labeling the vial, the nurse picked up her kit and headed for the door. "They'll come to take you to radiology soon," she said as she left.

Nick once again took her hand in his. "Do you want me to wait for you to come back?" he asked.

Johanna shook her head. "No. I'm tired, Nick…so tired. Take Gage to my place. You've got my keys, right?" Nick nodded, and her eyes drifted shut for a moment before blinking back open. "Nick, if something happens, there's a copy of my will…in the safe at my house."

"You're going to be okay, honey," Nick interjected. "You're going to walk out of this hospital."

"The combination is my birthdate," she continued. "The law firm information is in the safe, too. If something happens, I want you to make sure it gets taken care of."

Nick nodded. "I'll make sure it gets taken care of." He gently kissed her just as a hospital tech knocked on the door.

"Okay, Johanna, we're ready to take you to radiology," he said, quickly releasing the brakes on the bed's wheels.

Johanna caught Nick's eye. _I love you,_ she mouthed as she was being wheeled away, leaving Nick standing alone in the room.

**_TBC..._**

Man, writing this chapter brought back a lot of memories.


	32. Searching

A/N: Don't worry, I'm not going to let this go a year before updating again! Just had a few kinks that I needed to work out. I still don't own CSI.

_Previously: Johanna caught Nick's eye. 'I love you,' she mouthed as she was being wheeled away, leaving Nick standing alone in the room._

Nick expected Gage to lash out at the news of Johanna's health turn, but the young man took it stoically. It took a bit of convincing by both Nick and Grissom, but eventually Gage agreed to leave the hospital long enough to get some rest. Grissom waited with Nick while Gage went to retrieve the luggage he said he had brought. "I'll request that Ecklie put you on administrative leave," the older man said quietly. "Now that you're personally involved in the case, it'll be required." Gage reappeared with a lone duffle bag, and the men left the hospital.

The drive to Johanna's was quiet, as Gage was staring out the window while Nick drove. As they neared her house, Nick finally spoke. "It's better at night."

"Johanna said it's a completely different city at night," Gage said, not looking away from the window. "She always said that she was going to get me down here and we'd paint the town, better than we did back home." He shook his head. "Looks like that's not going to happen this trip." When Nick parked in front of Johanna's house, Gage quietly surveyed the property before getting out, picking up his bag, and following Nick into the house.

"The guest room's this way," Nick said, leading Gage through the living room to the hallway. "There's not much food, because Johanna had moved in with me after the break-in. I think there's some soup in the cupboard, though, if you're hungry."

Gage shrugged. "Not really, he said, stepping into the guest room and dropping his duffel bag on the blue comforter. "Think I'll take a nap. It's been…it's been a helluva day so far."

Nick nodded. "Then I'm going to crash. If you need anything, holler." Gage flipped him a wave as Nick headed further down the hall to the bedroom. He paused long enough to pull off his shirt and jeans before crawling under the covers.

Sleep was intermittent at best; Johanna got shot in every dream, jolting Nick awake each time. Finally, after hours of tossing and turning he gave up. Pulling his clothes back on, Nick meandered out to the little office off the living room. He settled into the leather chair, flicking on the small desk lamp. Immediately Nick caught sight of a framed photo sitting on the paper-strewn desk. Picking it up, he smiled. It was a picture of a younger Johanna astride Sienna; her father and one of her brothers were also in the picture, both on horses as well. All three had smiles on their faces. Setting it back on the desk, Nick leaned back in the chair and sighed. _"Nick, if something happens, there's a copy of my will…in the safe at my house."_ Slowly he got out of the chair and started searching for the safe behind the hanging pictures on the wall.

"What are you doing?"

Nick glanced at the doorway to see Gage, arms crossed, leaning against the frame. "Something I don't want to do," he admitted. "Johanna asked me to do one of those 'worst-case scenario' things, so I figured I'd better know where things are if it comes to it."

Gage's expression softened in understanding. Stepping into the room, he watched as Nick looked under another wall hanging. "Aren't wall safes pretty common?" he asked.

"I suppose they are," Nick replied. "Why?"

"I know my sister," Gage said simply. "She'd something completely, off-the-wall different."

"Off-the-wall…" Nick echoed, a thought occurring. Glancing down, he studied the area rug that decorated the hardwood floor. Something tugged at his memory, and he gestured at Gage, who was standing closer to the desk. "You want to flip the rug back?"

Gage glanced at the rug. "What?"

Nick crossed behind the desk, pulling the chair off the rug. "You probably didn't mean off-the-wall literally, but…" Kneeling, he flipped the corner of the rug back. Spying his quarry, he pushed the rug further under the desk. "Johanna has a floor safe," he finished, pointing to a spot where a circle had been cut and replaced in the flooring. Tugging the rug back in place, Nick stood. "That's all I need to know." He glanced at Gage, who was studying the picture on the desk. "Did you take that?"

"No. Mom took this when they had come back from riding the fence one morning." He picked up the picture, studying it. "It was taken a couple years before Dad got shot." Setting it back on the desk, Gage cast a glance at the paperwork covering the desk. "This looks the same as Dad's desk at the ranch," he commented with a grin.

"Has she ever gone back?" Nick asked.

Gage shook his head. "No. It's hard on Mom especially, but Dad says to give her time, that she'll come back when she's ready." He headed for the doorway, fatigue shadowed across his face. "Dad won't admit it, but the checks she's been sending really help when things get tight."

As Gage disappeared down the hall, Nick quietly turned off the small lamp, a multitude of thoughts crashing around in his mind; thoughts that continued to plague him as he went back to bed and drifted into an uneasy slumber.

**_TBC..._**

I have a few ideas of where this is going, but I'm always open to suggestions :)


	33. What ifs

A/N: And voila! Here's the next chapter! Sorry it's taken a while, but I had some kinks to work out, and a bad case of writer's block to hurdle. Nothing has changed in the last couple months, but just to reiterate...I don't own CSI.

_Previously: …thoughts that continued to plague him as he went back to bed and drifted into an uneasy slumber_.

Nick dropped Gage off at the hospital the next morning before heading back to Johanna's house. Heading straight for her office, Nick pushed back the rug and finally opened the safe. Not wanting to cross-contaminate the paperwork on the desk, he spread everything from the safe on the floor to study. A thickly stuffed envelope caught his eye; picking it up, he realized this was Johanna's will. After a moment's hesitation, he set it aside, not wanting to read it.

Ten minutes later Nick replaced the contents of the safe, making sure the container was locked. Besides the will, there was a letter from her father, postmarked after Johanna had moved to Las Vegas. Reading between the lines, Nick could tell that Cal was working hard to convince Johanna that the shooting wasn't her fault. There was no mention of Johanna sending checks. _Not that it's any of my business,_ Nick told himself as he got off the floor and stretched. Pain shot through his leg; it had fallen asleep. Nick grabbed the chair and sat down. The papers on the desk caught his eye, and he scooted the chair close to the desk. Tugging a legal pad closer, Nick took a look at it. The first couple pages were filled with Johanna's scrawl. Flipping past, Nick found something of interest. A list of numbers, amounts, and dates were scrawled on the paper; it didn't take much of his CSI skills to realize that Johanna had recorded the check numbers and amounts she sent to her family, especially since some had notes like "flu hit the hands" and "Cole thinks coyotes got the calves". He noticed that each check amount wasn't much, usually no more than one hundred dollars at a time, although the amounts were higher when there was a notation along with the information.

The next page had 'Christmas Ideas' boldly written along the top. Nick scanned the page, noticing that the words 'trip home' were underlined, followed by a question mark. Spotting his name, he quickly flipped the top pages back, not wanting to ruin any surprises Johanna may have in mind. Nick continued flipping through the notebook, but didn't find anything else of interest. Putting everything back, he sat back in the chair, thinking and chuckling a bit. _Here it is, the middle of September, _he mused, _and she's thinking about Christmas. I wonder how serious she is about going home for Christmas. _Nick reckoned it wasn't an idea Johanna had mentioned to her family. Realizing that he really didn't know exactly what he was looking for, Nick gave up and left the house.

The drive to the hospital took longer than normal, given the fact that Nick made a quick stop at a nearby floral store, which took longer than he expected. Easing the Tahoe into a parking space, Nick hurried inside, careful not to upset the bouquet of daisies he carried. The nurse buzzed him into the ICU, and his long legs brought him quickly to room 5. Stepping quietly into the room, Nick saw that Johanna was sleeping; Gage was sitting in the chair on the left side of her bed, fingers steepled under his chin, elbows resting on his knees as he watched his sister sleep. "How's she doing?" Nick whispered.

The young man shrugged. "She's doing pretty good," he replied, not looking away from Johanna. "The nurse said she's been out since the last round of painkillers a few hours ago." Glancing at Nick, Gage smiled at the sight of the vase full of daisies. "Daisies…those are her favorites, you know," he commented as Nick set the vase on the windowsill.

The Texan nodded; Johanna had mentioned it in passing once not too long after they'd met, and he had tucked that little bit of information away. "Has the doctor been in yet?"

Gage nodded as well. "Yeah, and he confirmed that she has clots in both lungs. He ordered a bunch of blood work yesterday, so they've been taking blood at all hours. Hopefully the next batch will show a change." Leaning back, Gage rubbed his face, his hazel eyes despondent. "I've been asking the nurses about what happened to Johanna; told 'em I wanted to hear it straight, you know? They said that people who throw clots sudden, like she did, have a fifty/fifty chance." Shaking his head, Gage continued, "They said she was lucky that she was here when it happened, so that they could catch it fast. But what if they didn't really catch it in time? What if one of those clots moved into the heart? They can do that, the nurses said." Gage looked at Nick, who could clearly read the worry and pain in the younger man's eyes. "How would I be able to tell the family if something happens, and Johanna dies?"

A sigh huffed from the bed, causing both men to turn. "I'm not going to up and die," Johanna muttered. She glowered at Gage, although Nick could see the twinkle in her eyes. "How's a girl supposed to sleep with all that jabbering?"

Leaning against the windowsill, Nick grinned as the siblings verbally sparred. Even with the tubes snaking from under the blankets and the slim nasal tube she wore, Johanna had color in her cheeks, a sparkle in her eye, and strength in her voice. Waiting until the two took a break, Nick caught Johanna's attention. "How are you feeling?"

A gentle smile crossed Johanna's face. "Better, even if they kept waking me up to take blood."

"Knock, knock," Dr. Benson said as he entered the room, chart in hand. "Good morning, Miss Andrews."

"Morning, Doc," Johanna said.

"How are you feeling? Any chest pains?" The doctor flipped through her chart while he talked, no doubt checking her stats throughout the night.

"No chest pain at the moment. Some incision pain when the meds wear off, but that's to be expected," Johanna replied matter-of-factly.

"Any light-headedness?"

"None."

"Have you tried to get out of bed?"

Johanna grinned slightly. "You said not to." Nick grinned at the sauciness of her tone, while Gage muffled his laughter into a cough.

Dr. Benson smiled. "Just checking. Well, it's too soon to say for certain that the heparin is helping dissolve the clots, but the blood work is looking good. I'd like to keep you in the ICU for a few more days, and if your test results continue coming back like these…" tapping the chart, "then we'll talk about moving you to another unit. Sound good?"

"Will I be able to get up?" Johanna queried.

"Once you're in the step-down unit, I'd insist on it," Dr. Benson said. "When I say you can get up, I want you to be walking those halls, for your circulation. You're too young to be getting clots, young lady." He flipped to another page on her chart. "I'm going to schedule another CT scan for tomorrow afternoon, both to check on the clots and to see how my handiwork is holding up. How's the shoulder feeling?"

Johanna lifted her left shoulder in a shrug. "Not too bad, considering."

"Good to hear. Has Dr. Smythe, the orthopedic surgeon, been in to see you at all?" When Johanna shook her head, Dr. Benson shrugged. "I'll tell him to stop in when he can; he's got a number of surgeries today. Well, I'll stop in again tomorrow, so no wild parties tonight, okay?"

Gage chuckled as the doctor left the room. "Aw shucks, Johanna, we can't go cow tipping tonight."

"Cow tipping?" Nick echoed, stunned. "Did you actually do that as kids?"

Johanna shook her head, smiling. "No, Nick, we're not that hillbilly."

"Yeah…we'd usually be found roping cows, not tipping them," Gage added. Getting up, he headed for the door. "The vending machine's calling my name."

Nick settled into the vacated chair. "So the doctor sounded optimistic," he said, enthused.

Johanna nodded. "I'm not out of the woods yet, though," she admitted, reaching for Nick's hand. "Anything could happen yet. But I'm not about to let this get me down."

Squeezing her hand, Nick leaned in to press a gentle kiss to her lips. "There's that fighting spirit. Just don't scare me like that again, sweetheart."

Her eyes sparkling, Johanna smiled. "How can I scare someone who remembers to bring my favorite flowers?"

**_TBC..._**

Things are looking up! Excellent! Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait. I'll work on getting the next one up soon.


	34. Scrabble

A/N: Sorry this is so late! I reenrolled in college, so that's taken a big chunk of my time these days. I'll do my best to get the next chapter up; I've got a good portion of it written in my head already. Hopefully my readers have stuck around. As usual, I don't own CSI. Enjoy!

_Previously: Her eyes sparkling, Johanna smiled. "How can I scare someone who remembers to bring my favorite flowers?"_

Johanna's test results continued to improve; by the weekend Dr. Benson had approved her transfer out of the ICU and into a step-down unit. He kept her on a combination of IV heparin and oral coumadin to continue dissolving the clots. Johanna's room was soon blooming with flowers and gifts from her coworkers, the CSI team, her family, and Nick.

Greg's gift made her giggle; the vase of bright yellow hibiscus flowers completely hid the aide delivering it from view late in the afternoon. When she opened the accompanying card a slip of paper fluttered to the blanket. Johanna ignored it momentarily as she read the card, a confused grin crossing her face.

"What does it say?" Nick asked from his seat by the window, where he had been writing a letter to his parents.

"'The yellow hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii. Too bad it's not blue.'" She glanced at Nick. "He's your coworker."

Nick chuckled. "Doesn't mean I have to claim him," he retorted.

Gage looked up from studying his Scrabble tiles. "Have I met Greg?" he asked.

Johanna shook her head. "I don't think so. You'd remember." Picking up the paper that had fallen from the card, she read it before breaking into giggles. "So that's what he meant!" Seeing the confused look on both mens' faces, Johanna explained. "He made a certificate that entitles me to three pounds of Blue Hawaiian coffee, on him."

Nick's eyes widened. "Three pounds? That'll cost him a pretty penny."

"He must have a private supplier," Johanna mused. Gage spelled out LATEX on a double word score, snapping Johanna's attention back to the game. "Little brother, I'm going to whip you one of these days, as soon as I'm able," she grumbled good-naturedly.

"Ooo, I'm so scared," Gage teased, marking down his score. "Maybe it's a good thing I fly home tonight."

Johanna smiled as she used all her tiles to spell COWGIRLS on a triple word score. "How well do you think they've managed without you?" she asked, seriousness tinged in her voice, something Nick picked up on.

Gage took his time recording Johanna's score before answering. "It's been tough at times," he said finally. "But I think things are finally looking up. There's a high chance that Lazy-Z Ranch will get named as a Certified Angus Beef ranch by the end of the year."

Johanna's jaw dropped. "You're kidding," she said, her voice tinged with excitement.

"Nope. Dad got the letter from the American Angus Association last week." Gage's hazel eyes twinkled at Johanna's expression. "This could really turn things around for the ranch."

Nick watched Johanna arrange her new tiles on the rack, her eyes lightening to the color of an Irish shamrock. He smiled, knowing that shade only came through when she got excited. "What time does your flight leave, Gage?" he asked as he glanced at his watch.

"7:55," Gage answered. "And before you ask, Johanna, Cole's meeting me at the airport. I suppose we'll have to leave soon?"

"Within the next half hour, to make sure we beat the traffic and get you through security," Nick said. He knew that Gage didn't want to leave Johanna yet, but Nick also knew the complexities of operating a ranch; Gage was needed back in Montana.

The game finished with just enough time for Gage and Johanna to share their farewells. "What do you want me to tell the family?" Gage asked.

Johanna smiled wistfully. "Give them all a big hug for me, and tell them I love them." Carefully the siblings hugged before Gage and Nick headed for the airport.

**_TBC..._**

I'd debated making this longer, but decided that a short chapter is better than no chapter after this long. I'm fairly certain how this is going to end...but what do you readers want to see?


	35. Don't forget Harold

A/N: This chapter was pretty easy to write. I hope you enjoy it. I still don't own CSI, just Johanna, her family, and the critters.

_Previously: Johanna smiled wistfully. "Give them all a big hug for me, and tell them I love them." Carefully the siblings hugged before Gage and Nick headed for the airport._

Thoughts were flying through Nick's mind as he drove back to the hospital. He kept recalling the Christmas ideas list he had stumbled across earlier that day; something Gage said before heading into the airport nagged at him…

_"Mom's going to ask if I managed to convince her to come and visit," Gage commented as the airport terminal came into sight. "Dad won't say anything, but I know he wants to see her come home for a while. So do Cole and Ian. Hell, I think even the cattle want to see her again." Nick chuckled. "Maybe she'll decide to visit while she's recovering. I think it would be good for her." _

_"Nick…" The Texan could tell that Gage was struggling to find the right words, "Maybe you could give her a push to come home for a while. It would mean a lot to Dad, especially after what happened."_

Nick had agreed to try, and the two men parted ways. He had come to like Johanna's brother, with his blunt and straight-forward ways; Nick wondered if her other brothers were cut from the same cloth. The majority of the trip back from the airport was spent pondering on how to broach the subject with Johanna; by the time he reached the hospital, he was still at square one.

Johanna had put the Scrabble board away and was idly reading a magazine article when Nick came back. "Looks like Gage's exit was quieter than his entrance," she remarked, a smirk crossing her pretty face as she set the magazine down. "Care to help me meander the halls?" Now that she was in the step-down unit she was expected to walk the halls every couple hours.

"Of course, beautiful." Nick stood by as she carefully swung her legs to the edge of the bed and eased to a standing position. Picking up the hospital-issue robe that had been tossed over the back of a nearby chair, he gently settled it over her shoulders, taking care not to jostle the thickly-wrapped right one. "Ready?"

"Don't forget Harold."

Nick blinked. "Harold?"

Johanna grinned. "I named my IV stand; figured if I have to drag it along everywhere, it might as well have a name. Harold's as good of a name as any."

"Okay…Harold," Nick said, reaching down to unplug the machine from the wall. The IV monitor bleeped as the battery took over. "Let's go." He let Johanna set the pace, keeping a close eye out for any sign of fatigue or pain. Slowly they made their way around the ward.

Finally Johanna spoke. "Dr. Smythe stopped in not long after you took Gage to the airport. It sounds like he wants to schedule the shoulder surgery for the morning after tomorrow. Dr. Benson said it shouldn't pose a problem with the recovery from the last surgery."

Nick nodded, digesting the information. "I reckon the sooner they get it fixed, the sooner you'll be on the road to recovery."

Johanna nodded. After another moment she questioned, "Have you talked to Grissom about the dogs?"

"Not today," Nick admitted. "I was planning to call him during the shift tonight to check on them. I know I wouldn't be able to just waltz in there to check on them, since they're technically evidence. But I also know that Grissom would have called if something serious came up."

A small smile played across Johanna's full lips. "I wish you could smuggle Amigo in for a visit."

The Texan chuckled. "I know how much you'd love that, sweetheart," he said, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Silence resumed as they continued walking. They finished the first lap around the hall and were a quarter of the way into the second when Johanna spoke again. "There's something I've been thinking about."

When she didn't immediately continue, Nick pressed, "What have you been thinking about?"

"Well, with all that's happened, I'm not going to be able to really work for a while. I'm sure that within a couple months I'll be cleared to do paperwork and dictations, but…I'm pretty sure I'll have some time on my hands." Johanna paused for a second, then continued. "I think I'd like to go to Montana for Christmas."

Nick breathed a silent sigh of relief. He wouldn't have to work to convince her, after all. "Your family would love to see you." _And I'll miss you like crazy when you go._

"They'd love to meet you, too," Johanna replied softly, coming to a stop in the hallway. Turning, she looked at him, her emerald eyes watching his toffee brown eyes. "Nick, will you come with?"

He hadn't been fully expecting the question. Slowly a smile spread across his face, and he leaned forward, gently pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Of course I will, honey."

**_TBC..._**

I've named many an IV stand during hospital stays...Harold has always been a favorite name, lol!


	36. Surgery results

A/N: Yep...once again I had writers block. Slowly but surely this chapter has come along, though. Hope you enjoy it! I don't own CSI :(

_Previously: He hadn't been fully expecting the question. Slowly a smile spread across his face, and he leaned forward, gently pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Of course I will, honey."_

Nick sat in the waiting room, his nerves on edge. Johanna had been taken into surgery hours before, and he thought that surely she would have been in recovery by now. Warrick had offered to wait with his friend when he heard that Johanna was going under the knife again, but Nick had waved him off; he wouldn't have been good company. Rising, Nick started pacing the length of the waiting room, as restless as a caged lion. _Why hasn't there been any news? _he thought.

Just then Dr. Smythe stepped into the waiting room, his face grim. "Mr. Stokes?"

"How is Johanna?" Nick asked immediately.

The doctor sighed. "There's no easy way to say this. During the surgery Ms. Andrews developed another blood clot. We administered blood thinners to try and dissolve it, but it lodged in her heart. Ms. Andrews passed away a few minutes ago. I'm so sorry."

The words hit Nick like a sledgehammer. His chest tightened, and he forced himself to keep breathing. "Can…can I see her?" he asked, blinking rapidly as tears pricked his eyes.

Quietly Dr. Smythe led Nick to the OR. It only took a couple minutes, but to Nick it seemed like an eternity. "I can give you a moment alone," he said softly.

Pushing the door open, Nick slowly walked to the center of the room. Johanna lay on the table, the machines around her turned off. Someone had pulled a white sheet up to her shoulders, and her long hair was tucked into the blue surgical cap, a few wisps escaping its bounds. If it weren't for the intubation tube still in place, she would have looked like she was simply sleeping. Nick reached out and gently stroked her cheek, the skin pale under the harsh lights and cooling rapidly. Tears spilled from his eyes, coursing unchecked down his face as he whispered, "No. No…no no no no…"

"No!" The shout tore from Nick's throat as he jolted awake, disoriented. It took him a moment to realize that it had been a dream, that he had fallen asleep on Johanna's couch watching television. Zorro, who along with Amigo had been released to Nick the day before, whined softly from his spot on the floor. Slowly Nick sat up and rubbed his face, thinking. Johanna's surgery was scheduled for that morning; he had tried to sleep some during the night, but had given up and retreated to the couch, flipping through channels. Somehow he'd ended up watching some trauma show when he fell asleep. "No wonder I had that dream," Nick groused as he got up, his heart rate finally beginning to slow.

After starting a pot of coffee, he glanced at the clock as he headed for a shower; it read 4:43. He wanted to be at the hospital by 6, so he could see Johanna before she went into surgery. Nick took his time in the shower, letting the hot spray chase away the slight tremors the nightmare had caused. Finally he shut off the water, toweled off, and got dressed. Zorro and Amigo stood waiting, tails wagging, as Nick came into the kitchen. He smiled slightly. "Okay, guys," he said, opening the closet where Johanna kept the dog food. Amigo danced around as Nick measured out the food, while Zorro sat patiently waiting. Both dogs were fast eaters, and within minutes were ready to go outside. Nick let them out before grabbing his phone to call Warrick. His friend didn't answer, so Nick left a message asking if he'd come to the hospital to wait with him after the shift—if he didn't end up pulling a double shift, that is.

Within a half hour the dogs were back inside, the coffee was ready, and Nick was on his way to the hospital. He planned to get some more daisies for Johanna's room once she was in recovery. For the time being, however, he was going to spend as much time with her before she was taken into the OR.

Nick made it to the hospital a bit before 6, and he headed for Johanna's room, flipping a wave at the nurse manning the duty station. He caught her nod and knowing smile as he approached the semi-darkened room. Quietly he stepped into the room, crossing over to sit in the chair that was still beside the bed. He felt as if he was being watched; glancing at the bed he met Johanna's bemused jade gaze. "Nice sneaking skills," she said wryly.

"Good morning to you too, sweetheart," Nick replied, setting his travel mug of coffee on the table beside her bed. Leaning in, he pressed a gentle kiss against her soft lips. "Do you know what time they're coming to take you in?"

Johanna shook her head. "Not yet. I'm looking forward to it being over, because I'm really thirsty. And the smell of your coffee isn't helping matters."

"Oh, sorry," Nick said guiltily. Picking up the mug, he made sure the lid was closed before leaning back to set it on the windowsill. He'd forgotten that she couldn't have anything to eat or drink prior to surgery.

"Don't worry about it, Nick," Johanna chuckled. Shifting to find a more comfortable position, she winced slightly. "How are the boys?"

Nick smiled, although continually watching her for more signs of pain. "They're glad to be home. I'm sure they were both up on your couch as soon as I left the house." That drew another chuckle from Johanna. Another wince followed the chuckle, and Nick's eyes narrowed. "Honey, when was your last dose of pain meds?"

Johanna leaned her head back against the pillows, closing her eyes for a moment. "It's been a few hours," she admitted. "I don't want to become too dependent on it."

"Johanna." Nick's tone was serious. "If you're hurting, take the pain killers. They're prescribed to you for a reason."

"They'll be coming in soon, surely," Johanna said. "I can manage until then. Besides, talking to you keeps my mind off of it."

Nick nodded, although he wasn't fully convinced. "So what do you want to talk about?"

Johanna smiled. "Anything. Have you checked up on Sienna lately?"

"I called the stable, and explained what's happened," Nick said. "The manager said he'd be more than happy to have one of the stablehands give her some light exercise daily until you're back on your feet."

A light tapping on the door interrupted them as Lacey, one of the surgical nurses they'd gotten to know, stepped into the room. "Good morning, guys," she said cheerfully. _Too cheerfully for this early,_ Nick thought as Lacey bustled about, prepping to take Johanna to surgery. "Nick, I know you want to stay, but I'm going to have to ask you to head down to the waiting room."

Nick nodded as he stood. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss against the tip of Johanna's nose. "I'll see you when you're out," he said softly. "I love you."

Johanna smiled. "I love you too."

* * *

Nick sat in the waiting room, his nerves on edge. Johanna had been in surgery for two hours, and he thought that surely she would have been in recovery by now. Warrick, as well as the rest of the crew, had ended up pulling doubles, so he was waiting alone. Rising, Nick started pacing the length of the waiting room, as restless as a caged lion. _Why hasn't there been any news? _he thought.

Just then Dr. Smythe stepped into the waiting room, his face unreadable. "Mr. Stokes?"

"How is Johanna?" Nick asked immediately, the memories of the nightmare lingering in the back of his mind.

The doctor smiled. "She's going to be fine. The surgery was a bit complex, but it was a success. With a few months of rehab, her shoulder should be back to 100%. Ms. Andrews is in recovery now." The intercom crackled to life, issuing a page for Dr. Smythe. "I'll let you know when she's back in her room."

Nick slowly breathed a sigh of relief as the doctor left the room. His nightmare was just that, a nightmare. Shaking his head to rid his mind of the images of Johanna lying lifeless on the operating table, Nick left the waiting room. He wanted the first thing for Johanna to see when she came back to her room to be a beautiful bouquet of daisies.

**_TBC..._**

I had some interesting feedback from a couple friends who read this while I was working on it.


	37. Therapy or torture?

A/N: I found my missing muse! Hence, a long-awaited update. Of course, I still don't own CSI.

_Previously: He wanted the first thing for Johanna to see when she came back to her room to be a beautiful bouquet of daisies._

When Nick arrived back at the hospital, Johanna was still in recovery, so he forced himself to wait in her hospital room. Opening the blinds to let the sunlight in, Nick set the bouquet of daisies on the windowsill in the brightest beam of light streaming through the window before settling into the chair with the latest football magazine he had purchased while he was out. Idly he flipped through the pages, not really reading the articles as he kept listening for the sound of Johanna being brought back.

After what seemed like an eternity, Johanna was wheeled back into the room by Lacey. "Looks like you have a visitor," the nurse commented.

Johanna, her right arm resting in a sling against her chest, opened her eyes, looking until she saw Nick. "Hey," she whispered, her lips curving into a smile upon seeing him. "Thanks, Lacey," she said as Lacey positioned the bed and locked the wheels before leaving. As Nick pulled his chair close to the left side of the bed, Johanna glanced around the room, her eyes sparkling when she saw the daisy bouquet in the windowsill. "You're going to spoil me, Nick."

Nick grinned, picking up her left hand. "Someone has to, sweetheart," he replied. He liked seeing that sparkle in her eyes. Absentmindedly he began rubbing her ring finger. "Since Gage went back home, it's up to me to make sure you're thoroughly spoiled until you walk out of this hospital."

"And afterwards?"

"Afterwards I'm going to keep spoiling you, because I can."

Johanna chuckled softly. "Just don't spoil me too much, okay? There's only so much a girl can take."

Nick smiled, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Deal. So how long do we have to wait before we know if this surgery was the last one?"

"I'm not sure," Johanna admitted. "I don't know if Dr. Smythe will be in today or not, but hopefully whenever he comes, he'll say that it was a success."

The surgery was indeed a success; Dr. Smythe declared during the first check-up that Johanna should not need a third surgery. "I've contacted the therapy department," he said during her second check a little over a week after surgery. "They'll get you started on regaining shoulder movements. The most important thing to remember is _do not _try to do any movements on your own for the first five to six weeks. The therapist will tell you that, too."

Johanna nodded. "So, you're saying no calf roping?" she asked jokingly. Nick, sitting across the room, chuckled.

Dr. Smythe grinned. "Not for a while, at least. But," and his tone turned serious, "I do want you to follow all the instructions that the therapists give you. I want my work to hold up for a long time, understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, so then we'll get you scheduled for a recheck in another month. And I don't want to see you on my operating table with another gunshot wound." With that, Dr. Smythe left to continue his rounds.

Nick pulled his chair closer to the bed. "You had to ask about roping, smart alec."

Johanna grinned. "I should have asked exactly how long before I can do all that fun stuff again, since they insist on putting me through the torture of therapy."

"How do you know it's going to be torture, if you haven't even started yet?" Nick retorted.

"Because I screwed up my knee once during a riding accident," Johanna said. "I didn't need surgery, but the docs had me doing physical therapy. It's definitely torture."

Nick shook his head, unable to suppress a chuckle. "I believe you, honey. Just don't overdo it, okay?"

Johanna impishly threw him a left-handed salute. "Yes, sir!" The mischievous look on her face was too much for Nick to take. With a laugh he leaned in and kissed her gently. As he pulled away, Johanna reached up and grasped the front of his green t-shirt. "Where do you think you're going, mister?" she whispered before pulling him back into another kiss. While the first kiss was gentle and tender, this was an intense, toe-curling, mind-numbing kiss, the likes of which he hadn't shared with her since she had moved in with him.

As mind-numbing as the kiss was, Nick was aware that he had to be careful about how passionate they got. Because of that, after several moments of ecstasy-inducing kisses, he eased back. "I love you, sweetheart."

Johanna smiled, her sea-green eyes sparkling with understanding. "I love you too."

A while later Dr. Benson knocked on the door. "Who's winning?" he asked, seeing the intense game of Scrabble in progress.

Nick shrugged. "We'll tally the scores at the end, but I have a feeling she's going to whoop me," he replied, studying his tiles.

Laying down SCAMPER on both a double letter score and a triple word score, Johanna quickly added up the score for that word. "That bumps me up another 48 points."

"I rest my case," Nick said, scrawling the number down under Johanna's last score.

Dr. Benson smiled. "Well, I didn't come to challenge the winner. I came to see how you'd feel about being released tomorrow."

Johanna met the doctor's gaze. "Seriously?"

The doctor nodded. "I just spoke with Dr. Smythe, and he says as long as you follow your therapist's orders faithfully and keep your follow-up appointments, he has no problem letting you go home, as long as you'll have someone there with you."

"I'm on administrative leave, so I'll be there with her," Nick said.

"Good," Dr. Benson nodded. "Then I'll stop by in the morning for a final check before getting the paperwork started. If everything checks out, you should be out of here before lunchtime. Deal?"

Johanna smiled. "Deal." After the doctor left, she turned to Nick. "Before we go to your place, is there any way I can persuade you to take me out to see Sienna? Just for five minutes or so?"

Nick nodded. "As long as you listen to your body. I don't want to have to bring you back here and face the wrath of the doctors for having you overdoing it within the first hour." When Johanna nodded her agreement, Nick turned back to his tiles. "You're going to beat me…right?"

"Yep."

"Should I just admit defeat?"

Johanna shook her head, a wolfish grin crossing her face. "Not a chance."

_**TBC...**_

I'm hoping this chapter was worth the wait! I will do my best to get another chapter up sooner than I got this one up.


	38. The Great Escape

A/N: Hopefully this chapter is long enough to make up for the length in between postings. And no, I still don't own CSI. *sigh*

_Previously: Johanna shook her head, a wolfish grin crossing her face. "Not a chance."_

Johanna told Nick to sleep in the next morning, since Dr. Benson had said the release would be before lunchtime. "But probably not much before," Johanna reminded him before he left. Nick spent the extra time cleaning Johanna's place, packing clothes for her to wear home, playing with the dogs, and buying groceries. Grissom had called him early in the morning with the news that his apartment had been released. Nick appreciated the news, but he wasn't sure whether Johanna would want to go back there just yet. Recalling his experience with a stalker once again, Nick remembered his uneasiness the first few days back in his apartment after the final showdown with Nigel Crane, even with the knowledge that Crane was behind bars. He didn't want Johanna to be overly stressed her first day out of the hospital.

Nick managed to wait until quarter past eleven, figuring that by the time he got there she would probably be signing her discharge papers. He was proven correct; a ward nurse he vaguely remembered was in Johanna's room when Nick arrived. "Ah, my knight in shining armor," Johanna said with a grin, signing the last paper.

"Here to rescue the damsel in distress," Nick quipped, bowing slightly as he held aloft the duffel bag he carried. "Armed with the trusty track pants and flannel shirt my fair damsel requested." Handing the bag to the nurse, Nick obeyed when she asked him to step out while she helped Johanna dress.

After a few moments she called him back in order to show both of them how to handle Johanna's injured shoulder with minimal pain. As the nurse finished helping Johanna dress and adjusted the sling, Nick packed up the various belongings Johanna had collected during her stay. "I'll be right back with a cart for the flowers," the nurse said as she left the room.

Johanna sat on the edge of the bed to wait. "So, are we going straight home, or is there a stop at the stable planned?" she asked.

Nick poked through the closet and all of the drawers to make sure he hadn't missed anything. "We may be able to squeeze a stable trip in before heading to the house," he said, mentally noting how she referenced it as going home, without knowing which place they were going to. "I figured you might be more comfortable at your place rather than mine, considering recent events."  
Johanna smiled gently as the nurse came back in wheeling a cart. She didn't say anything as Nick started loading the flower bouquets onto the cart, but her green eyes spoke volumes.

Nick worked as fast as he could, figuring that if Johanna was anything like him—and he'd noticed some definite similarities—she would want to get out of the hospital as fast as she could once the discharge papers were signed.

Sure enough, after Nick set the last bouquet on the cart and double-checked to make sure everything was packed, Johanna leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Are we locked and loaded?" she asked.

"I think we're good to go," he answered, picking up the duffel and slinging it over his shoulder. Wrapping his arm around Johanna's waist, they walked out of the hospital room, followed by the nurse wheeling the flower-laden cart. Nick made quick work of turning his Tahoe into a mobile floral shop before helping Johanna into the passenger seat. "Okay," he said after pulling out of the hospital's parking lot, "you still up for a trip to the stable?"

Johanna's eyes sparkled. "I sure am."

Nick could sense Johanna's excitement as he pulled into the stable's parking lot. A cool rain had started falling as Nick helped Johanna out of the Tahoe and into the building. He hung back as she moved towards Sienna's stall, yet keeping close enough in case something happened. Grabbing a couple apples from the stash, Nick went to Tux's stall, giving the black gelding the apple as he listened to Johanna talk to Sienna.

"Hey, girl, how've you been?"

Sienna whickered.

"I know I haven't been here lately…doctors tend to keep you in the hospital when you get shot. Trust me, I'd rather have been here."  
_  
Swish _went Sienna's tail.

"You want to go out, I know. But you'll have to settle for one of the guys here to take you out. I'm grounded for a while." Absentmindedly stroking Tux's velvety muzzle, Nick heard Johanna sigh. "No riding, no roping, no heavy lifting, none of the cowgirl stuff we're used to."

Sienna stomped a heavy hoof, whickering what Nick could only assume was frustration echoing Johanna's own. Leaving Tux to his flake of hay, Nick joined Johanna at the stall door. "I think she'll forgive you, sweetheart," he said, giving Johanna the apple.

Johanna offered the fruit to the mare, grinning as her muzzle whiskers tickled her palm. "She's forgiven me for worse. Like when I didn't trust her on the barrel pattern and we lost the high school rodeo finals my junior year." Chuckling, she added, "It's a good thing we won my senior year, or else she might have given up on me all together!"

Nick gently wrapped an arm around Johanna. "How are you holding up?" he asked, noticing that she was a bit pale.

"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is getting tired," she admitted, leaning carefully into his embrace. "Tired and a bit hungry."

"Well, do you think you can make it home for food? Or should we pick something up on the way?"

Giving Sienna a final pat, Johanna and Nick headed for the entrance. "I can make it home and have some lunch, then I should take a nap," Johanna decided.

On the way out to the Tahoe they discussed meal options; after picking one they both liked, a comfortable silence fell between them. Nick used the silence to think about Christmas ideas for Johanna. _If she can start thinking of Christmas ideas now, why can't I?_ he thought to himself. By the time he pulled into her driveway, Nick had a few pretty good ideas. "Ready for lunch, sweetheart?" he asked as he put the SUV into park and killed the engine. When he didn't get an answer, he glanced over at her. "Johanna?" Her eyes were shut and her breathing slow and even; she had fallen asleep. Chuckling, Nick got out and unlocked the front door, propping it open before going back and carefully picking Johanna up from the passenger seat. Carrying her inside, he gently deposited her in her bed, planting a kiss to her forehead. "Sleep well, honey," he whispered.

**_TBC..._**

Being as this is set in Las Vegas, and December is the National Finals Rodeo, I'm thinking there has to be a chapter that includes the NFR. Hopefully it'll be up soon.


	39. Decisions

A/N: I feel so proud that I got this chapter posted less than two weeks since the last one! Yay me! Being this is National Finals Rodeo week, I must pay homage to one of my favorite yearly events. And no ownage of CSI going on here.

_Previously: Carrying her inside, he gently deposited her in her bed, planting a kiss to her forehead. "Sleep well, honey," he whispered._

Nick kept a close eye on Johanna over the following weeks, but it was a moot point. Johanna faithfully followed the orders of her doctors and the therapists, and didn't overexert herself or overwork her shoulder. Near the end of November she was cleared for extremely light duty—paperwork and dictations—at the office. "It's good to be back," she confided to Nick after her first night back. "I was starting to go a bit stir-crazy at the house."

One night in the first week of December, the two of them were curled up on the couch watching the third night of National Finals Rodeo events. It was Nick's scheduled night off, and Johanna had been sent home after a few hours of paperwork. She had made it home just in time for the steer wrestling event.

"So this is what Gage does for fun?" Nick asked after watching a few of the contenders. "I fail to see the fun in it."

Johanna grinned. "It is rather fun," she admitted. "I've done it myself."

"On a dare, right?"

"The first couple times were dares."

Nick glanced at her. "The first couple…Never mind." Knowing Johanna, she would have done any rodeo event for fun.

"So Gage told you he did this for fun," Johanna mused. "He was—probably still is—good enough to qualify for the NFR, if he wanted to. After Dad was shot…" She sighed and leaned against Nick. "He gave up a lot to help keep the ranch going." After a few moments of silence she mused, "I suppose if he really had wanted to, Gage could have gone on the rodeo circuit and ended up at the finals. He's got the talent for it, and Dad would have given his approval."

"Why didn't he?" Nick inquired.

"The travelling expense is pretty steep, and there's no guarantee he would finish in the money, as good as he is." Johanna smothered a yawn against her hand. "He still enters the local rodeos with Deuce. It used to be a family event, those local rodeos. Gage would do the steer wrestling, Dad and Ian in the team roping, I did the barrels, and Cole did the trifecta: bareback, saddle broncs, and the bulls. Gage was the only one who wanted to do the circuit; ever since he rode his first sheep when he was four, it was all he could talk about, being a big rodeo star."

Nick nodded. He had done mutton busting when he was kid, growing up on his family's ranch in Texas. It was no surprise that Gage—and presumably all the Andrews siblings—had done the same. Deciding it was time for a change in the subject, he asked, "Have you told your family we're coming for Christmas?"

"We? You got the time off?"

"Yes I did. I wasn't sure if I would, considering the administrative leave and all, but apparently I have two weeks of vacation time that needed to be used before I lose it." Nick recalled that Grissom hadn't seemed a bit surprised at the request. "So have you?"

Johanna shook her head. "No, I want it to be a surprise. I know they'll all be there." She turned her attention back to the televised rodeo. "That's one strong steer," she commented.

Nick chuckled. "No changing the subject, sweetheart. We should get our plane tickets reserved…unless you want to drive."

"Flying is fine," Johanna interjected firmly. "We also need to get reservations for the boys at Four Paws Boarding, and I should pay a little extra for one of the guys to give Sienna some exercise." Chuckling ruefully, she added, "It's a good thing I'm back at work."

"Moneywise, you mean?" Nick asked. When Johanna nodded, he ventured an idea. "I've been thinking. Do you think it would be beneficial if we moved in together?"

After a moment's thought, Johanna slowly nodded. "We're basically living together as it is, just rotating places. Did you have any ideas on location?"

"Well, if it's okay with you, I'd rather move in here, at least for now. You've got a backyard, and a fenced in one to boot. If we want to, we could look for a new place down the road. What do you think?"

Johanna craned her neck to smile up at Nick. "I think it's a good idea, honey. The house is plenty big for both of us and the dogs." Snuggling closer against Nick, Johanna added, "Know what else I think?"

"What's that?"

"I think I want to play a game later. It's called Ice Cream."

Nick blinked. "Ice cream?"

"Mmhmm. I lick, and you melt. You want to try it?"

"Oh yeah." Reaching for the remote, he quickly programmed the DVR to record the remainder of the rodeo before turning off the television. "But I don't want to wait until later," he concluded, standing and scooping the laughing Johanna off the couch and carrying her into the bedroom.

**_TBC..._**

****I don't think I'm the only one who would like to play Ice Cream with Nick!


	40. Montana

A/N: I had actually hoped to get this story competely finished by Christmas...ha! That turned out well, didn't it? Well anyways, here's the next chapter. Of course, I still don't own anything CSI related.

_Previously: "But I don't want to wait until later," he concluded, scooping the laughing Johanna off the couch and carrying her into the bedroom._

Nick shifted in his seat, stiff from sitting for so long. Stretching his legs as far as he could, he thought about recent events. In the days leading to the upcoming Montana trip, Nick was kept busy at work as well as on the home front. He was working on a string of department store burglaries, and busting his boots to get everything on his end done before he left. Luck was on his side; LVPD caught the trio of college kids who were behind the burglaries on his last night. "They're lucky, all things considered," Brass said later in the shift. "It's the first offense for all of them, they didn't hurt anyone…they can all bounce back from this if they try."

After giving his thirty day notice to the apartment manager, Nick spent a lot of time packing and moving things to Johanna's house. A lot of his clothes and Zorro were already at the house; with the help of Johanna and Warrick, Nick got the rest of his belongings packed and moved and the apartment cleaned well before the thirty days were up.

Now, glancing at Johanna, he couldn't help but grinning. She had spent the last half hour with her nose nearly pressed against the window of the airplane, watching the land unfold far below the plane. "You realize that your nose will resemble a bulldog's when we land, right?"

"Gage would get a kick out of that," she replied, still looking out the window. "It's just that…Las Vegas is my home now, but right now I feel like I'm finally coming home." Turning, she gazed into Nick's brown eyes. "Does that make sense?"

Nick nodded. "I feel the same way when I go back to Texas. My dad always says 'Home is where you hang your hat, and there will always be a hook for yours here, Son'. So no matter where I end up, Texas is still my home. And I reckon Montana is the same for you." Johanna stared at him. "What?"

"That's deep."

"Hey, I'm allowed," he said, mocking offense as the captain announced their impending arrival to Gallatin Field Airport. An hour later they were on the ground, the luggage was collected, and Nick was guiding their rented Durango down the highway. "Just let me know where to turn, sweetheart," he said as Johanna marveled aloud that not much had changed.

"There! County road 27…turn left there," Johanna said ten minutes later. "We'll stay on that for seven miles then we'll take the driveway on the left. I can't believe we're this close already." Her excitement grew as the miles passed; when Nick drove up the long driveway towards the large house she was trembling.

Pulling to a stop behind an older model farm truck, Nick looked up at the white building. "This house is huge," he commented as he opened the door.

Johanna was already out of the Durango and standing in the yard, eyes closed, inhaling deeply. "Mmmm…I've missed this."

"What, the smell?" Nick asked, reaching her side.

"Yeah." Opening her eyes, she smiled at him and reached for his hand.

Crunching through the snow as they headed for the house, Nick sent Johanna a sideways glance. "So what's the plan?"

Johanna paused as they reached the steps to the wide, wraparound porch. "I guess we're going to wing it." Leaning against him, she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before trotting up the stairs, tugging Nick along with her. Reaching the door, she opened it and the two stepped into the warmth of the house. Nick inhaled the delicious scents filling the air. A hearty meaty smell filled his nostrils, causing his stomach to growl and reminding him that it was nearing suppertime. The aroma of gingerbread and molasses was stronger; someone was making Christmas cookies. "Hello…anybody home?" Johanna called.

Something fell with a bang in a nearby room, and footsteps hurried their way. A slender woman appeared in the hallway, her green eyes wide and sparkling. "Johanna! Oh honey, you're home!" The women embraced, identical smiles spread across their faces. "I'm so glad you're here! I can't believe you just snuck in on us. Oh, your father will be over the moon to see you, honey. He's been buried in his office all day." Johanna's mother stepped back for a moment. "Oh you're looking so good, honey."

"It's good to see you too, Mom," Johanna replied. "I want you to meet my boyfriend, Nick Stokes. Nick, this is my mother, Nancy Andrews."

Nancy smiled and offered her hand to Nick. "It's so nice to meet you, Nick. I've heard a lot about you."

Turning on the Texas charm, Nick kissed the back of her hand. "I can see where Johanna gets her beautiful looks from." Over Nancy's shoulder he could see Johanna rolling her eyes with a grin. "I hope you don't mind my coming along with Johanna."

"Not at all, not at all! Now come on in, you two, no need to just stand in the entry. Johanna, honey, your father is in his office. I was going to take him a coffee refill, but why don't you take it and surprise him." Nancy led them into the kitchen, where she handed a carafe to Johanna. "The boys are out working in the pasture; they'll be in for dinner soon. Oh, my roast! I don't want it to dry out." She hurried over to the oven to check the roast, letting Johanna and Nick slip away.

"Well, that's my mom," Johanna chuckled as they headed towards the office in the back of the house. "She tends to talk…a lot…when she's excited."

Nick nodded. "I noticed. I like her." Johanna slowed as they approached a partly opened door. "Do you want me to wait out here, sweetheart?" Johanna shook her head, so he leaned against the doorframe as she entered the room.

Cal Andrews sat in his wheelchair at the window, watching the landscape. Without turning he spoke. "Nancy dear, the roast smells great. Have the boys come in yet?"

Johanna refilled the mug on the desk and set the carafe beside it. "They're not in yet, but Mom said they should be back soon." Moving across the room, she joined her father at the window, settling her hand on his shoulder. "Merry Christmas, Dad."

**_TBC..._**

Merry belated Christmas, everyone!


	41. Family dinner

A/N: If I owned CSI, I would be on a white sand beach, not in a white snowbank. I got on a roll with this chapter! We get to meet the rest of Johanna's brothers here. I hope you enjoy it.

_Previously:_ _Johanna refilled the mug on the desk and set the carafe beside it. "They're not in yet, but Mom said they should be back soon." Moving across the room, she joined her father at the window, settling her hand on his shoulder. "Merry Christmas, Dad."_

Nick stepped out of the office to give Johanna and her father some privacy. Standing in the hall, he studied the photo collages hanging on the walls: pictures of Johanna and her brothers as babies, children, teenagers. In many of the pictures they were astride horses; Nick recognized Sienna in some, but in others Johanna was riding a handsome bay. Looking at another collage, Nick realized it was full of rodeo pictures. Johanna and Sienna making a tight turn around a barrel. An action shot of Gage sliding off his horse to catch a steer's horns. Cal and the teenaged Ian waiting for their run, lariats looped over their saddle horns. Shots of Cole riding broncs and bulls, determination etched on his face. Pictures of all four kids riding sheep as youngsters. He spent several long moments looking at the collages.

Eventually, sounds of movement behind him made Nick turn. Johanna had stepped out of the office, looking for him. "Nick, come meet my dad," she requested. Nodding, he followed her back into her father's office. "Dad, this is Nick. Nick, my dad Cal."

Nick stepped forward and grasped the hand Cal offered. "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Andrews."

"Cal, remember? And the honor is mine, son." Cal leaned back in his wheelchair, studying Nick. "You kept your promise. Thank you."

Nodding, Nick ignored Johanna's questioning look. "Yes sir, I did, Cal." Glancing out the window, Nick gestured to the scenery. "That's a helluva view. I don't know how I'd get any work done with a view like that in front of me."

Motoring his wheelchair around, Cal nodded his agreement. "It sure is beautiful. I loved riding out there before I ended up in this chair. Old Nellie and I used to lose ourselves up in those mountains for hours."

"How is old Nellie?" Johanna interjected.

"She's fully retired from ranching now," Cal replied. "She's earned the pasture time, although Cole uses her for training the colts every now and then." Glancing at the clock on the wall, he wheeled forward and picked up his coffee mug. "It's 'bout dinnertime, and that roast is smelling mighty good. The boys don't know you're here?"

Picking up the carafe, Johanna shook her head. "We didn't tell anyone we were coming, Dad. I wanted to surprise the family for Christmas."

Cal smiled at his only daughter. "And what a welcome surprise it is, honey." Turning his chair, he motored out of the office and headed for the dining room, followed by Johanna and Nick. The sound of male voices reverberated from the dining room as they drew closer. "Sounds like the boys are back," Cal commented. "Go on ahead, Johanna, I want a good seat for this."

"Mom, where's the coffee carafe?" Gage's unmistakable voice called out as the three came into the room.

Johanna stepped forward. "I've got it, Gage. Dad needed a refill."

Gage spun around, his hazel eyes widening. "Johanna!" Johanna barely had enough time to set the carafe on the table before Gage rushed towards her, wrapping her in a bear hug that lifted her off her feet. "What are you doing here?" he asked, setting her back down.

"We came for Christmas."

"We?" Glancing towards the doorway, Gage grinned when he spotted Nick. "Hey, Nick! Good to see you again."

"Gage, don't you know how to share?" As Gage released his sister, Cole came up to the group, covertly scrutinizing Nick before turning his full attention to Johanna. "How're you doing, stranger?"

Johanna smiled at her older brother, her eyes softening. "I'll be doing better once I get a hug from my favorite bull rider." When Cole carefully enveloped her in a hug, she gently smacked his shoulder. "I'm not made of lace, Cole." Nick chuckled at that.

"No, but you did get shot not too long ago," he retorted, although he tightened his embrace. "And you didn't really answer my question."

"I'm doing good, Cole. My recovery is going well, and I've been cleared for some light riding." Johanna smiled up at her brother, who groaned.

"Riding the fences does not fall under 'light riding'. But maybe you can help me with a colt I'm working on." Cole let his sister go and turned his attention to Nick. "And there's no question that you're  
Nick Stokes." He offered his hand; when Nick shook it, Cole tightened his grasp and pulled him in closer. "We're going to have a chat, you and I," he said, his voice pitched low enough that only Nick could hear him. Releasing Nick's hand, Cole stepped back. "How long will you be here?" he asked, his tone normal again.

Nick blinked, slightly taken aback at the abrupt turn in the conversation. "Two weeks. We fly back to Vegas on the second."

"Come on, guys." Nancy put a stop to all conversation as she came in from the kitchen, carrying the roast on a platter. "We can catch up while we eat."

The smell of the roast made everyone find their seat around the table. After Cal said the grace, the food was passed around. "So, Ian, how does it feel to be sixteen?" Johanna asked, taking some mashed potatoes before passing the bowl to Nick.

Ian accepted the bread basket from Gage. "It's great! I got my driver's license last week and my firearms permit yesterday. I've been riding out all week with Cole and Gage, and now you and Nick are here for Christmas. I can't complain a bit."

"So Nick, Johanna's told us a good deal about you, but why don't you fill in some blanks," Cal suggested.

Nick glanced at Johanna, who flushed slightly and shrugged. "Well, I was born and raised in Dallas. My dad's a judge, and my mom's a lawyer, and I've got six siblings who are all involved in the law world."

"Dallas? So you've been to a Cowboys game?" Ian asked.

Nick nodded. "My dad used to take my brother and me to games when we were kids. We both ended up playing in high school…I was a running back, and Dan was a wide receiver."

"Ian's a linebacker on the high school varsity team," Nancy commented, passing the roast platter to Cal. "They won the state championship this season." Taking a sip of coffee, she asked, "How did you two meet?"

"Well, the first time we met was in a park," Johanna answered. "I was out for a jog, as was Nick. He stopped me because he thought someone was following me. Turns out my dog had gotten out of the house and was tagging along."

Nick continued, "Later that night, my boss assigned me to a case involving a dog that got shot. Grissom called a vet in to recover the bullet, and that's when we met again. I asked her out for coffee…"

"One thing lead to another, and here we are," Johanna finished. "Nick also adopted the dog that was shot."

A look of concern crossed Nancy's face. "Did the dog recover completely from the injury?"

Johanna nodded. "He wasn't shot directly, Mom. The bullet was lodged in his leg, but he doesn't even have a limp now. By the way, the roast is delicious."

The rest of the meal was spent telling stories and reminiscing. When the plates were empty, save for crumbs, Cal smiled at his family. "Johanna, let's give Nick the guest room next to Gage's room. Cole, I'd like to talk business with you in the office. Gage, Ian, give your mom a hand with cleanup, please. Nancy, that was a great dinner." Backing away from the table, he motored his way back to the office, Cole following after refilling their coffee mugs.

After donning their coats and gloves, Nick and Johanna hurried to bring their luggage in from the Durango. "I'm glad you got me these gloves," Nick said along the way. As an early Christmas gift, Johanna had given him a pair of durable goatskin work gloves, promising that they would keep his hands warm in the frigid Montana winter weather.

"Aren't they great? Don't tell them," nodding toward the house, "but I got a new pair for all of them, too." Going back inside, they paused long enough to shed their outerwear before heading upstairs.  
"A lot of the downstairs was remodeled when Dad bought the house," she said as they reached the landing, "But the upstairs was mainly left alone. We all had our own rooms, and a few were kept for guest rooms. The rest got turned into fun rooms. Mom kept the nursery the same as when we were all babies, for eventual grandkids." Leading the way down the hall, she continued, "One of the rooms we turned into a weight room. We had a toy room, our own little library, Mom has a sewing room, and a lot of storage." Nearing the end of the hall, Johanna opened a door. "Here's your room."

Nick took in the simply yet tastefully decorated room as he set his suitcases on the queen bed. The wooden dresser set against the wall opposite the bed matched the headboard, and the cream and green patchwork quilt spread over the bed looked warm enough to ward off the winter chill. "It sure looks cozy," he said, briefly admiring the landscape portraits hanging on the walls. "Where's your room?"

Johanna nodded towards the last room across the hall. "Right there, across from Gage's room." A smile crossed her face suddenly. "I remember when we were both grounded…out past curfew or something. It was so boring, being stuck in our rooms, that we started throwing a foam football across the hall to each other." Shaking her head, Johanna chuckled as she moved towards her room. "I hadn't thought about that in a while."

Nick followed as Johanna opened the door to her room. He could see hints of the child and teenage Johanna as well as the Johanna he now knew. Her bed was made up with a similar quilt as the one in his room, although with lavender instead of green. Model horses lined the bookcase, and anatomy posters of various animals hung on the walls. An anatomy model of a great white shark sitting on the desk made him smile as he recalled Johanna's fascination with sharks. "How long have you had the posters?" he inquired.

Johanna thought for a moment. "Since I was fourteen," she finally answered. "I've been enamored with animals ever since I can remember. When I was thirteen I told my parents I wanted to be a vet, and the posters were part of my birthday gifts. I would study them every night." With a rueful grin, she added, "That's probably why I passed my anatomy classes with flying colors."

Wrapping his arms around her, Nick stole a kiss. "Sometimes I think you're an overachiever," he said. Johanna giggled, leaning into his embrace as he kissed her again.

**_TBC..._**

Does anyone else get the feeling that Cole is just as protective of Johanna as Gage is?


	42. Mercy and Miss Molly

A/N: I got most of this chapter written, then realized that I had a major flaw that needed to be fixed. Sorry it took me a while! As usual, I don't own CSI.

_Previously: Wrapping his arms around her, Nick stole a kiss. "Sometimes I think you're an overachiever," he said. Johanna giggled, leaning into his embrace as he kissed her again._

A knock on the door made them both jump. Gage leaned against the door frame, grinning at them. "Don't let Dad catch you kissing a boy in your bedroom again."

Johanna shot a dirty look at her brother. "One time, and I'll never live it down." Nick chuckled, earning himself a swat to the arm.

"Come out to the barn with me, I want to show you something," Gage said, staying out of swatting range. "I'm surprised you haven't been out there yet already."

Johanna and Nick followed as Gage headed towards the stairs. "I was planning to show Nick the crew soon," she retorted. The back and forth banter continued as they dressed and went outside, moving along the cleared path to the large red barn.

Warmth engulfed Nick as they entered the barn. "Is it always kept this warm?" he asked. "A person could live out here in comfort all winter."

As Johanna went to greet the whickering horses, Gage hung back beside Nick. "Well, there are sleeping quarters in here, in case a blizzard comes up. We have the heat mainly for the horses."

"Have you ever been caught in here during a blizzard?"

"No, but Dad wanted to make sure if it ever happened, anyone stuck in here would survive." Leading Nick past the rows of stalls, racks of saddles and bridles, and various training equipment, Gage showed Nick the small room equipped with a cot and mini-fridge stocked with bottles of water and juice. Two totes were stacked against the wall. "One has blankets and a pillow, the other has non-perishable food. We keep them stored away from the vermin," Gage said when Nick asked about them. Gesturing to another room across the way, he said, "That's a complete bathroom over there, so we can take a quick shower before dinner if we get too ripe for Mom's liking."

Glancing in Johanna's direction, Nick dropped his voice. "Listen, Gage, I'm planning on speaking with your dad later, but I wanted your opinion on something…"

A while later, Johanna came looking for them. "Gage giving you the tour?" she asked with a grin.

Nick nodded. "It's a pretty nice setup out here," he said, wrapping an arm around her.

She agreed. "Dad covered all the bases when he built this barn." Looking at Gage, she quirked a brow. "So what do you want to show us?"

Gage's eyes light up. "Over here." Leading them back towards the stalls, he paused at the first one, where a gray gelding stood. "Did you say hello to Deuce?" he asked, rubbing his neck.

"Of course I did." Turning to Nick, she explained, "Deuce here is one of the best ranch horses we've had, next to old Nellie."

Gage grinned. "He should be, since he's Nellie's colt. Deuce is a great cutting horse, and he helped me win a number of steer wrestling events. But he's getting too old to do both, so I retired him from the rodeo after this summer's events." Giving the gray one last pat, he moved to the next stall. "I bought this gal back in March, and I've been training her as my new rodeo mount. I used her in a couple of the summer's final rodeos; she did great."

Nick watched Johanna study the sturdy blue roan dozing at the back of the stall. "You've always had a good eye for horses, Gage," she said with approval. "She's tall enough for you, but you can still reach the smaller steers off her. She's got good legs, clean lines, and I'm guessing she has the speed?"

"She's as fast as Deuce was in his prime, if not faster," Gage said, a touch of pride in his voice. "Her name is Mercy."

"Mercy? Let me guess…the first time Mom saw her move, she said something like 'Have mercy'."

Gage nodded. "You nailed it. Cole heard her, laughed, and said Mom just named another horse." Seeing Nick's confused look, Gage chuckled. "Dad bought a mare about ten years ago, a good looking bay. The day Dad brought her home, she put on a real rodeo in the paddock: racing towards the fence before pivoting and racing away, lunging, bucking, just showing her stuff. Mom took one look at her and exclaimed 'Good golly Miss Molly, look at her go!' She's been Miss Molly ever since."

Mercy turned to look at them before ambling over, bumping Gage with her big nose. "If the ranch gets certified, I'm going to talk to Dad about hiring some more hands to help around here. I want to put more work on Mercy at the locals this summer and try my luck on the Montana circuit year after next."

"You're kidding…you're really going to do it?" Johanna exclaimed excitedly.

Nick was confused. "What exactly is the Montana circuit?"

"The PRCA sanctions rodeo events throughout the country, which is divided into twelve circuits," Johanna explained, letting Mercy snuffle her hair, clothes, and skin. "Gage's home circuit would be the Montana circuit; he would compete in rodeos all across the state."

"Not in other states?"

"No. This circuit is only for Montana," Gage replied. "California and Texas each have their own circuits as well. The rest have at least two states."

"So although Montana's a big state," Johanna interrupted, "he wouldn't have as much travel as if he was in, say, the Great Lakes circuit. That's got, what, seven states in the loop?"

Gage shook his head. "Nine."

"Which circuit is Nevada in?" Nick asked.

Johanna glanced at Gage, who thought for a moment. "Um, I think it's on the Wilderness circuit."

"Do you think Mercy has what it takes?" Johanna wanted to know.

"She's shown the right stuff so far. The first time I used her we placed fourth."

"Out of…"

Gage grinned sheepishly. "Out of six. But she's got the potential; we placed second in the final rodeo of the summer." Fishing a sugar lump from his pocket, he fed it to Mercy. "I'm heading back in. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Johanna rolled her eyes as Gage left, whistling a jaunty tune. "Goober," she muttered under her breath, stroking Mercy's muzzle.

Nick chuckled, draping an arm across her shoulders gently. "So how about you introduce me to your crew?"

"Sure, if you answer a question for me," Johanna replied.

"Shoot."

"Earlier Dad mentioned that you kept your promise. What promise was that?"

Nick's face grew warm. "Oh, that. When I called your folks to tell them you had been shot, I talked to your dad, and I promised him that I wouldn't leave you alone."

Johanna looked up at him, searching his face. "You promised him that?"

"Yeah, but I would have stayed with you even if I hadn't made the promise." He brushed a soft kiss against her forehead. "I love you, sweetheart."

Smiling, Johanna nestled against his chest. "I love you too, handsome." Her eyes wandered around the stalls. "So, you've met Mercy and Deuce. Come on." She introduced him to her father's faithful gray mare old Nellie, Cole's sturdy red roan mare Quake, Ian's chestnut gelding Soldier. "These are our extra mounts," Johanna continued as they moved down the corridor. "The hands use them, and if any of our main horses were off, we'd use one of these fellas."

"Which one would you use?"

Johanna gestured to a familiar looking bay, the same one in the photos in the house. "Miss Molly." As Nick moved to stroke her muzzle, the mare pinned her ears back and snapped at him, her large yellow teeth missing his hand only because Johanna quickly slapped it out of the way. "Be careful. She's…feisty."

Nick's hand stung slightly; Johanna had sacrificed finesse for safety, but he appreciated it. "That's not a horse, that's a piranha."

Johanna burst out laughing. "That's an apt term for her." She reached up a hand to rub the broad blaze on the mare's face, thumping her muzzle as Miss Molly bared her teeth. "None of that, Miss Molly."

Nick watched as the mare tossed her head before submitting. "You've got the touch with her."

"We have an agreement. She doesn't bite the family or the ranch hands, and she gets to stay with the herd." She turned to the mare. "Now listen. Nick is close enough to family, so no biting."

Miss Molly swung her head in his direction; Nick had the feeling he was being assessed with those big brown eyes of hers. When her ears relaxed, he took a chance and reached to pet her again; this time the mare didn't try to bite him.

"So what else would you like to see?" Johanna asked after she introduced Nick to the rest of the horses. "I'll show you some of our cattle during the day, when it's warmer. Gage showed you the basics of the barn already. We've got a couple herding dogs around here somewhere." Her sea green eyes started to sparkle, and she started tugging Nick's hand, leading him towards the back of the barn where they hay bales were stacked. "You grew up on a ranch; did you ever climb in the hay and make forts?"

"Sure," Nick replied, curious as to where this was going. "Dan and I would have contests to see who could build the better fort."

"I've got a new game."

Nick was quite intrigued now. "And what's this game called?"

"Roll in the Hay. Want to play?"

"Oh yeah."

_**TBC...**_

Ice Cream, Roll in the Hay...I'd play either game with Nick! I think Nick and Cole will be having a good long chat in the chapter after next. And from what I'm thinking, it'll be a full chapter's worth of chatting between those two men!


	43. Is hazing light riding?

A/N: Still don't own CSI. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

_Previously: "Roll in the hay. Want to play?"  
"Oh yeah."_

Johanna and her mother were busy in the kitchen when Nick came downstairs the next morning. "Morning, Nick," Johanna said, her hands covered with flour as she sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on rolled out dough. "Coffee's hot. Mugs are in the cupboard to the right of the sink."

"Thanks. Morning, Nancy." Nick fixed himself a cup of coffee as he watched the women work.

Nancy stirred something in a pot on the stove. "Good morning, Nick. Do you like caramel rolls?"

"Yes I do, ma'am." He crossed over to stand behind Johanna. Keeping his voice low so Nancy wouldn't overhear, he whispered in Johanna's ear, "You left a bit of hay in my bed, sweetheart. It must  
have been caught in your hair." She flushed crimson, shaking her head as she started rolling the dough. Speaking normally once again, Nick asked Nancy, "Is that the same recipe that Johanna has?"

"It sure is. Has she made them for you?"

Nick sipped his coffee. "She has. Are you the first ones up?"

Johanna chuckled as she sliced the rolled dough and started placing them into a pan. "Not by a long shot. The guys are already out, and I think Dad's in his office."

"The boys should be back by the time these rolls are done; Ian seems to know just when they come out of the oven, because that's when he shows up," Nancy added as Johanna finished filling the pan and slid it into the oven. Pouring the freshly made caramel sauce over her pan of rolls, Nancy slid those into the second oven and set the timer. "They'll appreciate hot rolls and coffee."

Sure enough, just as the timer dinged for the rolls, Johanna's brothers trooped into the house, their faces red from the cold. "Smells good in here," Ian said, standing by the warm oven after shedding his winter gear. "Caramel rolls and cinnamon rolls?"

"Oatmeal, too," Nancy said, pouring the hot cereal into a serving bowl. "It's almost done; Gage, could you let your dad know breakfast is ready?"

"These aren't just any cinnamon rolls, Ian," Johanna said. "These are orange cinnamon rolls." Nick's stomach rumbled; he loved Johanna's orange cinnamon rolls.

Ian reached for one of the piping hot rolls, only to earn a swat to the hand from Nancy. "Aw, come on, Mom, I'm hungry!"

"And you can just wait until we're all at the table, my dear." With that, Nancy carried the platter of rolls into the dining room.

Shaking his head, Ian grabbed the large bowl of oatmeal as Johanna reached for the pitcher of fresh squeezed orange juice in the refrigerator. "I had ulterior motives when I made the rolls," she admitted, handing the pitcher to Nick before grabbing the coffee carafe.

"What's that?"

"I've been wanting your potato soup ever since I booked the plane tickets here."

Ian chuckled as the three entered the dining room. "Well, I suppose I could whip up a batch today."

"A batch of what, Ian?" Cal asked as he came in.

"Johanna wants some of my potato soup." Setting the oatmeal bowl down, Ian plopped in his chair. "If it's okay with you guys," nodding towards his brothers, "I'll make some today."

Cole shrugged. "It's fine with me. I've got work to do with Dad, and some equipment to fix."

Gage nodded, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "I'm okay with it. It gives me time to work Mercy, then I'll ride out with the hands for the afternoon check." Cal raised his hand, and the table quieted as he said the grace for the meal. Reaching for a roll, Gage glanced at his sister. "Want to be my hazer?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Who's helping you these days?"

"Beau, Mick, and Aaron. Mick usually runs as my hazer, but I don't think he'll mind a day off," Gage answered with a grin. "I'll call them after breakfast."

As Johanna scooped oatmeal into a bowl, Nick leaned in close. "Riding in this cold? I don't think your doctor would approve. And is hazing light riding?" he asked softly.

She smiled. "Relax, honey. There's an indoor arena out beyond the barn. We don't keep it as warm as the barn, but it's warm enough," she murmured. "And all things considered, hazing is pretty simple. You can come watch, if you want." Passing the oatmeal, she accepted the platter of rolls. "Mom, can we do some shopping together in the next few days? I haven't gotten all my Christmas  
shopping done yet."

"Of course! We can go after lunch if you want, as long as you don't mind stopping by the store for a bit," Nancy replied.

After breakfast the family separated: Cal, Cole, and Nancy went back to the office, Gage went to make his calls, Ian disappeared to his room, and Johanna and Nick cleared the table and cleaned up  
the kitchen. "Have you finished your Christmas shopping, Nick?" Johanna asked as she rinsed the pots and pans before loading them into the dishwasher.

"Some of it's finished, but I've still got a few things to get." He'd already purchased the most important gift. "I don't really know what to get for your family." Searching the cupboards, he found the Tupperware and stored the rolls, passing the platter to Johanna.

"Do you want me to jot some ideas down when Mom and I are out?"

Nick nodded. "That would help. I'm planning to use my keen investigative skills to find out what they'd like, but I would take any suggestions."

Johanna chuckled. "You'd best keep your 'keen investigative skills' sharp when you're dealing with Cole, then. He can be a bit hard to read sometimes."

He would keep that in mind. "What about everyone else?"

Pouring detergent into the dispenser, Johanna shut the appliance and started it. "Ian's fairly open and easy to read. Gage…well, you've dealt with him before. Mom and Dad are both pretty easy to read as well." Crossing the kitchen, she grabbed three insulated mugs from the cupboard. Gage came in as she was filling the mugs with coffee. "Are they in?"

"They'll be here within the hour."

*************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Nick sprawled contently in bed that night, Johanna cuddled against him. "So was Ian's potato soup as good as you remembered?" he asked.

"Better," she answered drowsily. "How's your elbow?"

He had been roped into helping hold the steer straight in the makeshift chute; on Gage's last run the steer had slammed against the side of the chute, and Nick had banged his elbow against the metal getting his arm out of the way. "It's sore, but I'll survive. Did you and your mom have fun this afternoon?"

Johanna stretched. "I can't believe I forgot how many stores Mom can cover when she puts her mind to it. I think we hit every store in the mall, plus the other department stores in town."

"Did you get your shopping done?"

"I got most of it done. I didn't want to get Mom's present with her there, so I had it put on layaway and I'll pick it up in a couple days." Idly she drummed her fingers against Nick's bare chest. "You can come with and get the rest of your shopping done then, if you want."

Nick smiled in the darkness. "Sounds like a plan." After a pause he asked, "So what did you get me?"

Johanna pressed her face against his side to muffle her giggles. "You'll have to wait and find out on Christmas Day, just like everyone else."

"I really have to wait five days?" Nick jokingly complained.

"You bet your boots you do, cowboy." Rolling onto her stomach, she laid her head on her crossed arms. "So what did you do this afternoon?"

Nick shrugged slightly. "Well, I hung out in the kitchen when Ian was making the soup, helped him with some of the prep." He didn't mention what all he and Ian talked about that afternoon. "Then I lost myself in the library downstairs for a while; took a little nap in there, too." Rolling on his side, he gently rubbed Johanna's back as he changed the subject. "How many games did you win tonight?" They had spent the rest of the evening after chores and supper playing games in the large family room.

Johanna was practically purring under Nick's gentle caress. "I went out first in Scrabble, but Mom had more points. Dad trounced me in chess; he always does. And I lost track of all the card games with you guys." Her voice was growing drowsy again. "What about you?"

"Won a few, lost a few. You're right about Cole; he's hard to read." Nick didn't mention that Cole had intercepted him after dinner…  
_  
"Nick." Cole waited until Johanna carried dishes into the kitchen before speaking quietly across the table. "Johanna mentioned you go riding together."_

"Yeah," Nick answered slowly, unsure as to where the conversation was going.

"Meet me in the barn tomorrow morning at 5:30, and dress warm…very warm."  
  
The conversation was over as quickly as it had begun. Cole hadn't mentioned the conversation again during the evening, but Nick hadn't forgotten it. He had a suspicion he was in for a long, cold morning.

**_TBC..._**

Oh boy...methinks Nick's in for an interesting-and cold-morning! It's looking like Amigo will be wrapped up in perhaps a half dozen more chapters. I know, I know, I said that back in chapter 23, but this time I think I mean it.


	44. A long, cold ride

A/N: I had such a case of writer's block with this chapter! Cole is a hard man to write...ugh! As usual, I don't own CSI, although I do love watching it!

_Previous: He had a suspicion he was in for a long, cold morning._

Nick couldn't remember ever being this cold. The bitter wind permeated through the layers he had piled on, chilling Nick to the bone. He was grateful that Mac, the solidly built black Quarter Horse he rode, was surefooted and steady. Cole, riding alongside on Quake, seemed impervious to the cold. Nick had to admire the man for that; he didn't think he would last as a Montana rancher.

Cole hadn't said much so far beyond informing Nick which horse and tack to use. Nick didn't push the man; he knew Cole would eventually say what he wanted to say. Quietly they rode along, both checking the fence line for breaks while keeping an eye for any cattle that had strayed from the warmth of the herd. Every once in a while they stopped and Cole dismounted to check the automatic waterers, clearing out the ice with a small hatchet if he had to. "How many of the waterers do you have for the herd?" Nick asked, curious.

"Four or five of these big ones," Cole answered, "Plus a couple of the smaller units near the natural streams that cut through the range." Remounting Quake, they moved on. "There are a number of streams the cattle have access to in the summer months. Our fencing cuts through it so the cattle can drink from it but they can't stand in it."

Nick nodded, starting to shiver. He was tempted to slap his hands against his thighs to warm them, but he didn't want to spook Mac. _What I wouldn't give for a hot shower and an infusion of coffee. _Dawn was starting to lighten the horizon, and Nick could see another waterer ahead. When they stopped, Cole nodded toward it. "Want to try your hand at it?"

Dismounting, Nick took the hatchet Cole held out for him. Holding Mac's reins in his left hand, he stepped forward, using the hatchet's head to check for ice. Feeling resistance in the tank, he hacked at the ice with the blade, flipping the chunks out like Cole had shown him. Nick wasn't as skilled at flipping the chunks as Cole; it took him a while to clear the large waterer. Finally, thoroughly chilled, he climbed back aboard Mac. Adjusting the reins, he mentally thanked Johanna once again for the gloves; they were keeping his hands warmer than he could imagine. Nick tapped Mac's sides, asking the horse to follow Quake onward. As they rode, the wind seemed to have more of a bite to it as it swirled snow around them. Still shivering, he tried to conjure up the memories of the night before: feeling Johanna's soft skin beneath his capable fingers, her warm mouth leaving kisses all over his body, the heavy quilt trapping the heat of their lovemaking around them. He smiled even as the front of his jeans grew tight with the memories.

Cole drew to a stop, pointing. Nick reined in Mac, squinting to see what Cole had spotted. A few yards ahead of them, covered by a thin blanket of snow, lay a lone unmoving heifer. The men urged their mounts forward, dismounting when they were a few feet away. Cole, keeping a firm grip on Quake's reins, leaned in close. "Looks like coyotes got this one," he said grimly. He pointed at the wounds to the throat, hind legs, and haunches. "Coyotes will tag team to bring a cow down. One goes for the throat, the other goes for the tendons in the legs so the cow can't run. Same way wolves go after mustangs." He shook his head as the heifer drew in a shallow breath. "Looks like she's been down most of the night and they've been feeding on her, but she's still alive."

The heifer groaned, and Nick's heart sank slightly. "What can you do?"

Handing the reins to Nick, Cole pulled his rifle from the scabbard attached to his saddle. "Nothing," he muttered, checking the cylinder before taking aim. Cole pulled the trigger, sending a bullet through the heifer's brain. Pulling something out of his pocket, he fiddled with it before attaching it to the tag on the dead animal's ear. Next he grabbed his cell phone, punching in a couple numbers. "Wade, it's Cole. Coyotes got a heifer out in the west side." Listening for a moment, he shook his head. "No, had to put a bullet through her. Can you fire up the loader and bring her in? GPS is already set, and we're going to ride the rest of the fence." With a few more words, Cole hung up the phone. Wordlessly, Nick handed Quake's reins back before swinging onto Mac.

Cole settled easily into Quake's saddle, slipping the rifle back in the scabbard. "It's not much farther," he said gruffly, nudging Quake forward.

Nick followed, trying to put the sight of the mortally wounded heifer out of his mind. Like the image of the victim in his first case as a CSI, it was something he wasn't ever going to forget. He was glad to see the barn looming ahead moments later, the rising sun hitting it like a beacon.

They had unsaddled the horses and were rubbing them down when the barn door opened. Johanna strode purposefully towards Quake's stall. "What the hell were you thinking, Cole?" she demanded, her voice tight with anger, her hunter eyes flashing as she passed Mac's stall.

"You know exactly what I was thinking," Cole's voice rumbled from the next stall. "The same thing I was thinking every other time."

Nick heard the stall door creaking as Johanna let herself into the stall. "Okay, smart alec, what am I thinking now?" Nick kept quiet, glad he had never heard Johanna use that angry tone with him. She didn't get angry often, but when she did, she was a force to be reckoned with. A sharp thud suddenly echoed in the next stall, startling Mac. Before Nick could reach the stall door, Johanna had stormed out of Quake's stall towards the barn door.

As the barn door slammed shut, Nick quietly continued grooming Mac. Soon enough Cole's rueful voice drifted into the stall. "I'd hoped she would have forgotten that."

"Forgotten what?" Nick asked, his brush pausing mid-stroke. Mac swung his head around, whickering at Nick.

"When the boys started paying more attention to Johanna, they were all subjected to a ride out like we just took. If they were serious enough about her, they'd stick around. If they weren't, they were gone." Cole chuckled, the first time Nick had heard that sound from him. "When Johanna found out, she went on the warpath. It was the day after I took her last boyfriend on a ride, back during her first year at the university. She swore that she'd hit me the next time I did it."

Nick shook his head, glad Cole couldn't see his grin. "You thought she'd forget that?"

"Yeah, I know. She remembers nearly everything." Cole's voice dropped as he spoke to his mare.

Nick resumed brushing Mac, giving the big black gelding a thorough grooming for a job well done; Mac gave him a nudge with his big nose when Nick was finished. Latching the stall door, he peered into Quake's stall. Cole glanced at him across Quake's back, his left cheek already puffy and starting to darken. "She got you good."

Cole shrugged as he gently brushed his mare. "You'd better go make sure she didn't hurt that shoulder," he replied. Nick nodded, and was partway to the door when Cole called after him, "Nick."

Pause. "Yeah?"

"Take care of Johanna. She's the only sister I've got."

**_TBC..._**

Yep, pretty sure this will be wrapped up in a few more chapters. Hope you'll all hang in there with me through the end!


	45. Steam

A/N: After yet another haitus, I'm back! Hope you enjoy this chapter...I enjoyed writing it. It's a nice, somewhat fluffy chapter. I don't own CSI.

_Previously: "Take care of Johanna. She's the only sister I've got."_

Nick found Johanna in the kitchen, popping a bagel in the toaster. "What was that about?" he asked, wanting to hear it in her words.

"That was me making good on a promise." Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she studied him with celadon eyes. "So you seem to be in one piece." Reaching out, she pressed the back of her hand to his cheek. "Cold yet, but in one piece." Handing him her coffee cup, she poured herself another one. "Is Cole coming in soon?"

"I think so." Nick was grateful to be in the warm house; he was tempted to crawl back into bed and see if Johanna wanted to join him. He sipped the hot coffee as Johanna's bagel popped up. Johanna was busily digging in the freezer, so Nick set his cup down and fixed her bagel just the way she liked it: lightly toasted, with plenty of buttery spread. "What are you looking for?" he asked, setting half the buttered bagel on a plate while biting into the other half.

Johanna shut the freezer, ice pack in hand. "This," she answered, waving it slightly. Pulling a dishtowel from the drawer next to the refrigerator unit, she wrapped it around the ice pack before setting it back into the freezer. Nick slid the plate towards her, earning him a grateful smile. "Thanks, handsome," she said, taking a bite.

"So I was thinking of going back to bed for a while, to warm up," Nick said. "Care to join me?"

They heard the door open as Cole came into the house. Stamping the snow off his boots, he shed his winter gear before coming into the kitchen. Johanna fetched the towel wrapped ice pack from the freezer and passed it to Cole, who accepted it with a quiet thanks. After pouring himself a cup of coffee, he disappeared down the hall. "I always preferred warming up in a hot shower after a winter ride." Taking another bite of her bagel, she added, "A shower would help you warm up faster than just the blankets."

Nick nodded, somewhat deflated. Quietly he finished his bagel and coffee before heading upstairs to the guest bathroom he and Johanna were using, shutting the door with a gentle click. Turning on the water, he let it warm up while he undressed and pulled a clean, thick towel out of the closet behind the door. Carefully he stepped into the shower, letting the hot water beat down on his back and shoulders. He felt the warmth beginning to seep into his muscles and he sighed. _Johanna was right, _he mused, closing his eyes and letting his mind drift to what he needed to do soon.

He was partway through composing his speech when warm hands brushed his shoulders, making him jump as they slid down to wrap around his waist. Johanna rested her cheek against his shoulder. "I thought you could use the extra body heat to help warm you up," she said, pressing her warm body against his. "Want me to scrub your back?"

Nick chuckled, turning and capturing Johanna in his arms. "Only if you scrub my front too, sweetheart." His tone turning serious, he asked, "How's your shoulder?"

Johanna leaned against Nick's chest, letting the water beat down on them both. "It's okay. I bet Cole's hurting more than I am."

"Remind me not to make you that mad, honey." Idly he began tracing random patterns on her back. "Did you want to go into town today and get the rest of your shopping done?"

"You mean yours," she giggled. "I just need to get Mom's. Sure, we can go today." Picking up the bar of soap, she slowly began rubbing it along Nick's broad back. "Turn around," she murmured.

After stealing a kiss Nick complied, bracing his forearms against the shower wall. He smiled as he felt Johanna rubbing the soap across his back. Slowly she worked her way down to his feet before easing her way back up, her warm wet body pressing against his. "You do realize that showers are notorious for echoing, right?" Nick asked as Johanna wrapped her arms around him again, lathering up his chest.

"That just means you'll have to stay quiet," she retorted with a grin.

"Me?" he questioned, once again capturing her in his arms as he turned. "Dare I say you're more vocal in that department."

Johanna set the soap back in the tray. "Prove it," she challenged, her sea green eyes shining.

So Nick did.

**_TBC..._**

Nick still has something up his sleeve, and his time to finish it is running out...**_  
_******


	46. Christmas Eve

A/N: First off, I don't own CSI. Secondly, this is it. Here's the final chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

_Previously: Johanna set the soap back in the tray. "Prove it," she challenged, her sea green eyes shining._

_So Nick did._

The days flew by in a flurry of decorating, baking, and gift wrapping. Nick helped the brothers choose, cut, and set up a tree in the family room; once it was up they all helped string the lights and hang the ornaments. Almost as soon as the tree was decorated gaily wrapped gifts were piled underneath it. Nancy and Johanna baked up a storm, boxing up cookies and fruitcake and other goodies for the ranch hands, neighbors and workers at the store.

Christmas Eve morning dawned bright and cold. Nick awoke slowly as the morning sun filtered through the curtains, brightening the room. Curled up in his arms, Johanna sighed in her sleep. Nick's lips curled up in a smile as he pressed a gentle kiss to her temple before cuddling her close to his chest. _I could get used to waking up like this, _he thought, not for the first time. Absently he traced the scar from the bullet wound to her neck before letting his fingers drift to the scars on her shoulder.

"Do you realize how much that tickles?" Johanna's drowsy voice broke the silence in the room. Nick kept up his gentle caressing, smiling as Johanna stretched under his ministrations. With a good long stretch and a yawn she settled against his chest, running her fingertips across his skin. "Good morning."

"Good morning. Merry Christmas Eve. What's in store for today?"

Johanna thought for a moment. "Not much besides the usual ranch work. We'll do most of the prep for tomorrow's Christmas dinner, so we don't have to do it all tomorrow morning. After dinner tonight we'll hang the stockings."

Nick frowned. "I don't have a stocking."

"Yes you do."

"I do?"

"I bought one for you when we were in Bozeman a few days ago." Johanna smiled at Nick's bemused expression. "What? I didn't want you to feel left out." As the sun brightened the room even more, she sighed slightly. "I suppose we'd best get up. Mom will want some help in the kitchen, I'm sure."

With a quick move, Nick rolled Johanna beneath him. "Kitchen work can wait a bit longer."

Nick knocked on the office door. "Cal, can I have a word?"

Cal looked up from the papers he was studying. "Of course, Nick. Come on in." As Nick shut the door, Cal raised an eyebrow. "Must be important."

"It is." Taking a seat, Nick was suddenly at a loss for words, even though he had rehearsed this speech for days. He was mentally scrambling when Cal chuckled.

"Son, I'm pretty sure I know exactly what you want to ask. Frankly, I'm surprised in this day and age that you're asking."

Nick smiled slightly. "My parents raised me to do things right."

Cal grinned. "That's good to hear." He leaned back in his chair, studying Nick. "I have to admit, when she first told me she had met someone I was concerned. I'm sure you've heard the horror stories about some of the characters in Vegas. But as I heard more about you, I relaxed. When you called after she was shot, that showed me how much you truly cared about her, especially when you stayed with her." Nick swallowed hard at the memories of that day. "You're a fine young man, Nick Stokes. And you have my blessing."

Nick smiled broadly. "You won't regret your decision, Cal. I promise that."

"When?" Cal asked as Nick rose to leave the office.

"Tonight."

After dinner, games, and the traditional hanging of the Christmas stockings, Johanna went out to check on the horses and give them their Christmas treats: apples and homemade popcorn balls. Nick used her absence to finish the last of his plans while the remainder of the Andrews clan retired for the night.

As Nick put the finishing touches on the tray in the kitchen, he heard the door open. He smiled as he waited, knowing she'd go back into the family room; he had challenged her to a game of Scrabble.

He heard her footsteps go into the family room. "Okay, Nick, are you ready to…hey, where'd everyone go?"

Picking up the tray Nick made his way to Johanna. "I think the rest of the gang went to bed. Did the horses like the apples?"

Johanna smiled as Nick set the tray down beside the Scrabble board. "They did. I wish I could give Sienna her Christmas treats myself, though. Tux, too." Accepting the mug of hot apple cider from Nick, Johanna moved towards the hearth, where a comfortable fire burned. "Oh this feels good," she murmured.

After arranging a few Scrabble tiles, Nick wrapped his arm around her. "Honey, you're still cold," he realized aloud.

"That's why I'm by the fire," Johanna retorted with a grin, snuggling closer against Nick's broad chest. "I'll be warm soon."

"Good, or else I'll have to take you upstairs and throw you in the shower," he growled playfully, setting his mug on the fireplace mantle and rescuing Johanna's before enveloping her completely, kissing her with passion. Heat raced through his body as if he had stepped into the fire; everything around him faded away until all he knew was Johanna. The feel of her in his arms, the taste of her against his lips…she simply intoxicated him.

Reluctantly pulling back to his senses Nick ended the kiss. "Johanna…do you love me?"

Johanna blinked, her eyes still slightly unfocused from the toe-curling kiss. "Yes…I love you. I love you with all my heart."

Nick smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Check out the Scrabble board."

A confused look flashed over Johanna's face but she turned and went to the board.  
_  
CHECK OUT THE TREE.  
_  
She glanced back at Nick. "What's going on? Check out the tree?"

He nodded. "It's pretty self-explanatory, right?" With a chuckle, Johanna nodded and went over to the Christmas tree, picking up her cider mug along the way. While she looked over the tree, Nick quietly rearranged the Scrabble tiles, making a new message.

"What's with the ribbon?" Johanna asked, fingering the bright red bow tied on a prominent branch of the tree.

Nick turned. "Come check out the board again," he answered, deliberately being evasive. He smiled as Johanna shot him a playfully dirty look as she came to stand beside him.  
_  
HANG ME IN PLACE OF RIBBON.  
_  
Her jade green eyes narrowed. "What am I supposed to hang there?"

"This," Nick replied, holding out his hand. A beautiful Christmas ornament dangled from his fingers; two Christmas trees, each with hearts within the stars at their tops, leaned  
together. Silver ribbon looped around both trees twice. Etched on the top strand were the words _'Christmas together.'_ On the bottom strand read _'Nothing better.' _The year was inscribed at the bottom of the ornament. "I figured we should have something to mark our first Christmas together."

Johanna gently took the ornament from Nick to see it closer. Flipping it over, she saw that Nick had written their names on the back. "Nick…this is beautiful," she whispered as she looked up at him, her eyes lightening to sea green.

Nick smiled, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Just like you." As Johanna went to swap the ornament for the ribbon, Nick once again rearranged the tiles to create a third message before crossing the room to stand behind Johanna. "It looks great," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. Snagging the mug from her hand, Nick drained the last of the cider.

"Excuse you…that was mine."

"I could have gotten mine, but it's all the way over there," he gestured, "and I'm quite content right here." Dropping a kiss against her auburn hair, he nodded to the tray by the Scrabble board. "There's more cider in the carafe."

Johanna grabbed her mug back, heading towards the tray. "I should make you pour me another cup, since you so kindly drank the rest of…" The newest message on the board caught her eye.  
_  
TURN AROUND.  
_  
Nick was waiting when she turned. "I love you, Johanna. I love you more than I know how to say. When I saw you in the park that first time, I kicked myself that I hadn't gotten your phone number. Fate tossed us together that night, when you came to the lab to do the surgery on Zorro. I couldn't let you get away again. Each day I fell in love with you more, and when I almost lost you when you got shot, it was like being in that box again. You're the first person I voluntarily told about being buried alive." Fishing a black box out of his pocket, Nick dropped to one knee. "I want to spend every Christmas with you, every holiday…I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Nick opened the box to reveal a beautiful bridal set that sparkled in the firelight. "Johanna Kathleen Andrews, will you marry me?"

Tears shimmered in Johanna's eyes. "Oh Nick, yes. Yes. Yes!" As soon as Nick slid the engagement ring onto her finger, she threw her arms around him. After kissing him thoroughly, Johanna looked into his eyes. "I would be honored to marry you, Nick Stokes. Very honored."

Nick smiled broadly. "We won't have a quick Vegas wedding, either. I want it done right." The clock began chiming the midnight hour, and Nick tenderly kissed Johanna, savoring the moment. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

**_The End._**


End file.
